Searching
by BattleJoy W
Summary: (SessKaguKoug) Kagura starts wandering the countryside with Sesshoumaru, but Kouga's never far away. Chapter 10: The long awaited finale. (Important Author Note in Chapter 10a.)
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: If I really owned Inu-Yasha don't you think Sesshoumaru would have more screen-time (and occasionally less clothing. I have a lot of fangirl friends.) 

By the way, I need a title! "Searching" is SO lame. Please give me your suggestions with your reviews!   
~*~*~ 

"Kagura." 

Kagura gasped, surprised that she had been caught. She leaped down from her perch on a tree branch. 

"How did you figure it out?" She asked while still maintaining her normal confident air. She had thought that her trick of pulling a slight breeze towards her, making her constantly downwind, had been subtle and effective. It seemed it hadn't been enough though, and she cursed herself for underestimating his tracking abilities. 

Sesshoumaru dismissed her demand for an explanation as if she'd never made it. His visage showed no signs of his curiosity as he said, "Naraku has been dead for months. Why have you been following me for the last three days?" 

Kagura felt suddenly very self conscious. Sesshoumaru was correct and she could tell he wanted an explanation of her unusual behavior. Of course, she wasn't going give him the truth. "I haven't been following you. We just seem to be traveling in the same direction." 

Sesshoumaru didn't believe a word she said. 

"If you are going to walk the same road as I, then do it outright." With that said, he turned and walked away. 

Kagura blinked. She could have sworn she was hallucinating but it seemed like Sesshoumaru gave her permission to join him. . . in a cold, backhanded kind of way. She shrugged, deciding that it didn't matter as long as the outcome suited her purposes. 

~*~*~ 

"Come on, Kouga!" Hakkaku begged his leader. "Shouldn't we stay here with the tribe?" 

"*YOU* are staying here with the tribe. I'm going to be gone a while." Kouga said as he stuffed the last of his things into his pack. "It's just something I have to do." 

"But the tribe is so much larger now!" Ginta worried his bottom lip. "What are we going to do!?" 

"Your jobs! Don't you guys go on and on about being my right hand men? Then you be my damned right hand for a couple weeks while I attend to personal business!" 

"But Naraku is dead!" 

Kouga turned away from them as he slung his pack over his shoulder. "Not all of him." 

----   
I want to thank Mynuet, my dear beta-reader. You've listened to me rant, babble, and mumble for weeks patiently and actually figured out what I ment. My simpathies. 

I'd also like to thank my RP group and shippy lists, and Thunk, who encouraged plot bunnies to thrive instead of die. Thanks a lot, I thought I was going to finally stop writing fanfics and get a life. 


	2. Chapter 1:Clouds

I forgot to say thank to Michelle for also listening to me babble and giving me juice and pudding whenever I need it. 

And I'm still accepting title ideas. The title "Searching" works mostly the K/K angle and not the S/K one. I'd like to remain even throughout the fic. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Weiß Kreuz... Crap. Wrong disclaimer. I know I had one around here somewhere... 

~*~*~ 

"What? Sesshoumaru's leaving?" Startled, Kagura looked up as she slid that day's kimono on her shoulders. In the two weeks since she joined Sesshoumaru's group, he had stayed close. Quiet and coldly, but always close by. 

"Every once in a while he goes away for a couple of days. It's no big thing." Rin shrugged and continued to wash up in the river. Rin didn't question it. She knew he'd always come back for her. 

Kagura, though, had questions to ask and made it back to camp just as Sesshoumaru was leaving. 

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru said, sternly and simply, to remind his servant of his orders, before turning his back and starting to walk away. 

"Yes. I understand! Protect the women and stay here!" Jaken beamed and stood up a bit straighter, proud that he could serve his Sesshoumaru-sama. 

"Hey! Wait a second!" Kagura said in outrage, stomping up to him, her questions of where he was going all forgotten. Sesshoumaru paused and turned to look back at the shorter female confronting him. "I'm not here to be 'protected'! I can go whenever I want and I can take care of myself!" 

"You are free to leave. You can take care of yourself." Sesshoumaru nodded then surprised Kagura by taking a step forward into her personal space and then quietly asking "One might wonder what you are here for at all." 

Kagura instinctively stepped back flustered and blushing, trying to think of something to say. But in the end she didn't need to, because a split second later, Sesshoumaru walked away without another word. 

~*~*~ 

Kouga took a sip of the water in his palm, then splashed a couple handfuls on his face, then wiped it off. He was close. She must have been in this very site earlier that morning. 

Kouga sat on the riverbank to catch his breath. It was soon time for his showdown with the wind youkai. Now, that he was so close, he found himself wondering what possessed him to go on this quest several weeks ago. It wasn't just vengeance like he told the boys. It was different. It was a confusing mixture of revenge, pride, and the need to prove he was indeed powerful against the one enemy that always got under his skin. He also felt a certain sense of anticipation, a tingling sense of excitement, he attributed firmly to the fact that he was about to start a fight. 

But Kouga wasn't the type to sit and ponder endlessly on his feelings. (This ain't a shoujo comic!) He got up and continued to look for her. 

Because he needed to see her again. 

~*~*~ 

"Kanna." Kagura blinked. "Exactly, what are you saying?" 

"They said they'll give me my own room." Kanna stated in her usual quiet monotone way, standing still not indicating the couple standing behind her. "I am very excited." Kagura raised an eyebrow. Kanna didn't look excited but then again she never did. 

"We're moving into my family's house in my old village. It's quite large." Sango quickly reassured. "This might help Kohaku readjust." 

She couldn't help but glance back at the young boy playing with the double tailed fire cat across the meadow. Even if Naraku was dead and Kohaku had his will and health back, he still didn't have his complete memory. It was going to be a long road of slow recovery for his mind to completely heal from his ordeal. "And she says she's got no where else to go. It can be very dangerous for a youkai to find a territory unoccupied by other youkai. There are few youkai near my village even with it being abandoned so long." 

"Plus she'll be a great help when all the babies come!" The still near-giddy priest, Miroku, couldn't help but put in. 

"What 'babies'?" Sango narrowed her eyes at the man by her side. 

"Don't worry. I'll get work on them as soon as possible..." The ardent priest's old reflex acted up to reach over to the exterminator's posterior, thinking it was now condoned. Too bad, Sango's reflex to instantly slap him hadn't died since their relationship redefined itself. 

"What are you asking for? My blessing?" Kagura scoffed. "Go ahead. Like my say has anything to do with it. She's the older sister. She can do whatever she wants." She turned her back on the new family and whipped out the feather from her hairtie. 

"Farewell, Little Sister. Hope you find what you are looking for." Kanna quietly said as Kagura took off into the sky. 

~*~*~ 

Kagura didn't know what Kanna meant then and in the months that followed and she still didn't. Was Kanna right that she was looking for something? If so, then what was it? 

Of course, she had more pressing concerns. Such as her turn. 

"It's a cart being led by an ox." Kagura said pointing to one cloud formation to the south. 

"That one looks like a large sow." Jaken pointed at one to the east. 

"Look! It's a decapitated oni being attacked by giant centipede!" Rin giggled, cheerfully as both Kagura and Jaken blinked, looked at her, and then exchanged looks. 

Then they all went back to their game. Kagura laid back down on the grassy hill, replaying that morning's conversation with Sesshoumaru over and over in her mind. So far it had only triggered that odd memory from months before, which didn't answer anything. 

The questions kept on multiplying though. What was she looking for? Why was she looking here in Sesshoumaru's little group? And was it her imagination that Sesshoumaru had used an odd inflection in what he said this morning? 

Kagura sighed. None of the answers were coming... "Well except the 'Did Sesshoumaru have a hidden meaning in what he said?' question. I've been reading into everything too much today. Damned Paranoia. No one could get hidden emotion from Sesshoumaru. Or obvious emotion for that matter." Kagura bitterly thought to herself and cursed Sesshoumaru a couple times for good measure. Why did he have to be constantly on her mind? 

Suddenly Kagura's session of analyzing that morning to death was killed, by the top of a funnel of dust visible in the distance, heading toward them. 

"Jaken, take Rin out of the meadow." Kagura got to her feet and brushed a few errant blades of grass off her person. 

"Kagura-sama?" Rin questioned. The habit of calling her "sama" kinda flattered Kagura at first yet now annoyed her now. Then again Rin seemed to call all youkai '-sama'. "What is it?" 

"Just an old, "Kagura paused. She really couldn't classify Kouga. She didn't feel he was her enemy yet he evidently hadn't buried the hatchet. Still she didn't want the others involved. It was her business after all. "Irritant that keeps insisting on coming around. Jaken, just take her!" She pushed the girl toward the toad demon. 

"Why should I?" Jaken folded his arms, suspicous. Just because he was the humble servant of the immaculate Lord Sesshoumaru, didn't mean he had to follow anyone else's orders. Until Jaken got an indication that Kagura's relationship was with his lord was special, Jaken would continue to veiw her as somewhat of an interlopper. 

"Because Sesshoumaru ordered you to protect Rin and it's not safe here." Kagura barked, tired of explaining. Jaken, grudgingly, complied and led the human girl into the forest. 

Kagura had straightened her appearance by the time Kouga made it to the meadow a couple minutes later. "So we meet again, Wolf Prince. You know, I would have thought you'd get a clue by now. But I guess I shouldn't hold my breath." 

"Shut your trap, Kagura, before I shut it for you." Kouga growled menacingly as he surveyed the area around here. It was too open for his liking, with no trees or boulders to serve as cover if he needed it. However, the grasses were dry and the sandy soil loose, which gave Kouga an idea. 

"Ooo! Such big words from the Big Bad Wolf." Kagura flared her fan open, snickering. "Especially since the Shikon no Tama was completed and is out of this realm of existence. I'd like to see you try backing your boast." 

"Enough talk." Kouga smirked and crouched in preparation for the attack. It was finally time to wipe that smirk off her face for good. But first, he had to get her exactly where he wanted her. 

Kagura had to laugh as Kouga went into his same tried and true attack 'run and punch your enemy into submission.' It probably was fine for kitsunes and maybe even the ferocious chipmunk-youkai but surely the boy already knew it was useless against her. Kagura found herself debating whether to give the masochist what he wanted. She almost felt sorry for him. He had been no match against her with the shards and he certainly wasn't without them. 

Kagura swept a blunt version of her wind blade attack at Kouga, knocking him back, in a cloud of dust and debris. 

"Pathetic," she sneered, watching the red faced Kouga spit out grass and dirt that had been blasted into his face. 

He didn't respond, just launched himself into another attack that seemed even more ill-planned than the last. Kagura shook her head over the wasteful macho arrogance of it as she knocked him back yet again. She couldn't bring herself to actually slice the poor bastard to ribbons, but she was impatient enough to hit him harder. 

Kagura sneered disdainfully as the handsome wolf-youkai went into yet another series of mundane attacks, without even the power of the shards to make them interesting. So much potential, wasted on revenge. 

"Oh please. Just go back to-." Kagura's wind attack blasted through a wall of dust, only to find no enemy there. Her instincts were faster than her mind, her fan coming up before her mind had fully taken in the fact that he was behind her. Her attack was unsophisticated, just a blunt wall of wind that threw him backwards against a large, sturdy tree on the meadow's edge. 

Kagura put her hand on the thumping pouch at her belt and tried to catch her breath. That had been too close. It was time to stop underestimating him and get serious. 

Kouga slid down the tree trunk, whole but battered. He tried to shake off the dizziness from the having back of his head hit and the wind knocked out of him. Stubbornly, he wobbled to his feet, facing the middle Kagura of the three. "I'm not done-" 

Kagura wouldn't let him finish that statement and let loose another blunt gust knocking Kouga back with enough force that the loud thud of the tree cracking reverberated through the valley. 

Kouga could barely keep his eyes open. Kagura could tell he was barely conscious. She had blasted him back a bit more than she wanted. Kagura felt a sharp pang of guilt about it but Kouga needed to get the lesson. She couldn't afford her luck to run out. Of course, she wanted to have Kouga still believe it was her skills and not her luck that she was depending on. "Yes, you are done. Stay down! Hurting clueless jerk-offs like yourself is how Naraku got his jollies. Not me. I have nothing against you, Kouga, but I don't like to be attacked. Don't be a schmuck. Go home." 

"Never." Kouga startled Kagura by managing to push himself to his feet, wheezing but unbowed. "Not until I get you." Unfortunately he got up too quickly and it was enough that consciousness slipped from him. Still Kagura was impressed. 

"I've got to hand it to you. You are quite a passionate, tenacious, bastard." She mused out loud then added under her breath as she left, "And not as stupid as I thought. . . " 

**** 

Pathetic Omake Theater: 

"Shut your trap, Kagura, before I shut it for you." Kouga growled menacingly as he surveyed the area around here. It was too open for his liking, with no trees or boulders to serve as cover if he needed it. However, the grasses were dry and the sandy soil loose, which gave Kouga an idea. 

"Ooo! Such big words from the Big Bad Wolf." Kagura flared her fan open, snickering. "Especially since the Shikon no Tama was completed and is out of this realm of existence. I'd like to see you try backing your boast." 

"You'll see... From the other side of hell!" 

"You stole that cheesy line from Ronin Warriors, didn't you!" Kagura laughed and pointed. 

"No, I didn't!" Kouga pouted. 

"DBZ, then? Sailor Moon?" Kagura mused, then slammed her fist into the palm of her hand. "I know! Ninja Turtles!" 

"SHUT UP!" 


	3. Chapter 2:Springs

My Most Favorite Disclaimer: "Sharp Knife. Keep out of Children." (Real disclaimer on a Japanese utility knife.)

My Least Favorite Disclaimer: "InuYasha does not belong to me." (Reality sucks doesn't it.)

  
  


It seems like I'm pretty constant on updating this fic every two week. I think that's pretty good that I haven't gotten bored of editing and posting. If you think it is too, then give me a lil review to urge me on. Remember, I don't get bored of writing, only of connecting all the amusing scenes together, spelling and grammar checking something three or four times and wrestling with FFnet to post it. What's the point if no one cares?

---

Sesshoumaru stared out over the meadow. Kagura seemed to prefer open spaces, where the wind could ruffle her hair unimpeded by any forest. At the moment, Kagura was busy whispering with Rin over something, while trying to keep the flower garland that Rin made for her straight upon her head.

Sesshoumaru assumed that the subject of their conspiracy was the small origami cranes and other birds he had watched them make out of some ripped out pages of Jaken's account scrolls. Of course, Jaken hadn't figured out the sad state of his papers yet, being too busy fussing over the group's supplies.

Rin threw the paper birds up into the air where they were soon made to fly by the gust of wind from Kagura's fan. Rin giggled and chased after them as they circled and flew around the small human child.

Part of Sesshoumaru insisted that this was an odd scene. The other part insisted that this was the way it was supposed to be.

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru didn't turn to address his loyal retainer who was scurrying around readying their supplies. "Tell me your opinion on Kagura."

Jaken paused, swelling with pride. He blinked back a tear for a second, overcame with the joy of serving his master and the slight implication that his opinion actually mattered. 

"She's very beautiful, milord. And somewhat powerful considering her youth."Jaken bit his lip, seriously and nervously. He didn't think Sesshoumaru would like his answer but he had to give it. "But she isn't nobility. She has no position nor land that would make her an ideal match. Still, I guess, she might be trained to be a decent concubine for Sesshomaru-sama."

"Concubine?" Sesshoumaru blinked and turned to stare at his follower, the thought obviously never had occurred to him.

"Gentlemen need wives for only certain things. They like other women for other things, if you get my drift. This humble Jaken wasn't always your servant." Jaken winked. Sesshoumaru inwardly grimaced at the amount of information about his follower that he never wanted to know.

He still didn't see why Jaken would mention Kagura in that context.

~*~*~

Kouga sniffed the air. It was harder than before due to the sulfur and phosphorus vapors from the area interfering. He took a moment but he finally caught the scent unique to his quarry.

The battle the other day wasn't enough for the wolf prince. He wanted a rematch. Imagine his confusion when he came back to smell Sesshoumaru's presence with Kagura. 

Kouga had held off and bided his time, though he had no grudge with Sesshoumaru and vice versa. They both held to the policy that they stayed out of each other's way. To canine youkai, respect for each other's territory was the most basic principle of manners. So he waited until Kagura seemed to finish whatever business she had with the dog demon lord and set out on her own. Now she was fair game as far as Kouga was concerned.

"Thought you could hide from me by traveling through the hot springs did you?"Kouga chuckled to himself as he snuck through the underbrush. Seeing her vague profile amid the cloud of steam in a clearing, Kouga could see that she hadn't been alerted to his presence. Now he had the advantage of surprise and planned on using it.

~*~*~

Kagura yanked out the ribbon out of her hair, letting her hair to fall to her shoulders.

She'd have an hour all to herself while Jaken roasted for Rin the rabbit Kagura's wind blades had killed. Kagura was a bit surprised at the fuss and tears Rin produced over it though. She was only trying to be nice and get dinner for the brat. It was a clean kill by decapitation and Rin should have been used to Sesshoumaru slaughtering bandits and demons.

Still, Kagura thought it best to take some time away from the group even if Sesshoumaru had calmed the child telling her to be quiet and have Jaken explain that bunnies are part of the food chain. 

"And a bath was the ideal way to relieve my weary nerves." Kagura mused to herself as she untied her sash and slid her kimono off her shoulders . . . 

~*~*~

Kouga charged through the underbrush and the tendrils of steam obscuring his prey.

"Bitch! I have you n-!" Kouga began to yell as he prepared to throw a punch, but his step faltered for a split second as he was startled by the wide-eyed look she gave him. Unfortunately, his forward momentum caused him to still plow into her and tackle her to the ground.

Pinning her to the ground, Kouga suddenly found himself in a situation he never imagined he'd be with his enemy. Her kimono had flown wide open in the fall and her hair was fanned around her, framing her pale face and wide crimson eyes. Kouga slowly propped his weight with his right arm braced to the side of her head and his legs to the sides of her hips. He blinked as blood rushed to his cheeks. His still shocked brain tried to cope with the fact that his eyes were tracing down past the hills of her chest to the subtle curves of the plains of her stomach as his left hand squeezed the mound of flesh under it.

Of course, Kouga didn't have much time to cope with those facts because Kagura's mind had automatically gone into action, which was to will her knee to make a very hard contact with Kouga's crotch.

Kagura closed her kimono and leaped to her feet while Kouga doubled over in pain.

"You crazy bastard! Don't you know not to interrupt a lady's friggin' bath!" She screamed at him, punctuating her statement with several kicks to the side of the red faced, wheezing Kouga on the ground.

"Who's a la-umph!" Kouga grunted, his attempt at a comeback ruined by the irrate woman still kicking him. "Stop it! You can't kick someone when they're down!"

"The hell I can't!" Kagura huffed and kicked him extra hard, wishing she had brought her fan or feathers to the springs instead of worrying that the steam would wrinkle them. She grabbed her sash angrily and stomped off.

~*~*~

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow as he noticed the flushed cheeked demoness storming into the camp. He didn't ask any questions of why her clothes were in disarray or where she was going. 

It was her business in Sesshoumaru's opinion. So he just leaned back against the tree he was sitting under and tried not to note too much that, even though she was still clutching shut the upper part of her kimono, she was showing much more than usual amount of leg as she jumped on her giant feather. She flew off, leaving only the faintest scent as evidence of her passing.

"Is that . . . wolf?" Sesshoumaru mused out loud to himself.

~*~*~

Kagura flew around for about an hour, letting her anger and irritation ebb away with the winds rushing around her. 

As much as she wished differently, Kagura couldn't keep her mind off the fight with Kouga the other day. She hadn't seen him since Sesshoumaru returned which did seem strange. He should have sensed that the margin of ability between them was razor thin. And the hot springs scene that morning proved that Kouga wasn't going to quit.

As much as she wished differently, Kagura had the feeling that Kouga wasn't going to give up. He just wasn't the type. Worse yet, he had improved since Naraku's death, even without the shards. Or maybe she just wasn't on her toes enough.

Whatever the problem was, she needed to fix it. She didn't want to ever be ambushed like that again. She liked things only on her terms.

~*~*~

Kagura narrowed her eyes and concentrated at the leaf a couple dozen feet from her. With a sweep of her arm and a flick of her wrist, she sent a concentration of wind (known as a "Wind Blade") at the doomed leaf. The object of this exercise was to split the leaf. Unfortunately she missed the leaf entirely.

Kagura tried it again, only to get the leaf next to it. The third time only resulted in slicing the edge of it. 

"Calm down and focus." Kagura commanded herself as her eyebrow twitched. She took a deep breath and tried it again. This time she succeeded in accidently slicing off the whole branch.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd let yourself go like this." A familiar voice came from behind her. Kagura glared at Kouga from his seat on a large boulder behind her. "I'd like you to know that I would never want to see, let alone touch something as disgusting as a nude Detachment of Naraku. I hope you know it was all a mistake. I was just trying to get my revenge."

"Is that an apology, asshole?" Kagura yelled right back at him

"Take it however you want." Kouga glared at her. "By the way, what were you doing with Sesshoumaru this morning?"

"I'm traveling with him."

"Why?"

"None of your business." Kagura folded her arms, turning away to hide the blush on her cheeks. How could she explain the alternating calming or fluttery feelings she had when she was in Sesshoumaru's presence? If she didn't have an answer for her behavior to herself, she'd be damned to give an explanation to others.

"Oh, so that's how it is."Kouga's cheeks flushed angrily, suddenly instantly irritated, as his mind jumped wildly to conclusions. He had left his family, traveled all this way, and, here she was, enjoying her time with Sesshoumaru. "Never thought Sesshoumaru would be that desperate." 

"It's not like that! I'm just traveling with him for the moment."Kagura blushingly growled not liking the subject of conversation. Then she calmed herself. A scruffy, flea-bitten, sad excuse for a tribe prince wasn't worth it. " Anyway, I'm trying to move on now that Naraku's dead. Why don't you do the same? Why don't you go off and get a some stupid mountain wench and make bunches of furballs with her off somewhere else? Much more healthy than this 'quest for vengeance' crap."

Kouga stood up and leaped down off the large boulder, landing in a crouch. "I told you I wouldn't give up until I got you."

"You know girls don't like obsessive guys. You should quit while you're ahead and leave me alone."

"I wouldn't be talking. You're one hanging all over that Dog Lord."Kouga sneered as Kagura clenched your jaw. "Then again females are like that. Get the slight scent of power and they go into heat. Do you think he'd fall for you if you got close? That you wouldn't be something expendable?

Kagura turned away, not bothering to look at Kouga, while her grip on her fan tightened. "It's like not that."

"Oh? So it isn't power? Then what do you like about him?" Kagura glanced at Kouga, raising an eyebrow, then smiled. From the darkening expression on Kouga's face, he was really starting to get worked up. Kagura didn't know what his problem was but whatever was making him angry, perked her up.

"What? In comparison to a loser like you?" Kagura scoffed. 

Kouga smirked in return. "So that's what it is, his flawless good looks? Isn't it kinda disturbing going after a guy who's prettier than you?"

Kagura's eye twitched as her smile turned to a frown. She didn't know what irked her more. That he wouldn't get it through his head that she wasn't after Sesshoumaru that way. Or that he was implying that she wasn't as pretty as Sesshoumaru.

"Maybe it's his demeanor? Do you think you'll be the one to melt icy heart? I didn't know you were a romantic."His smile turned cruel. He could tell by the firey glint in her eye that she was getting agitated. Something he said must be hitting her. Very close. Then again Kagura always did have a lot of anger. "Or is it that you like amputees?"

Kouga never did know when to leave things alone.

~*~*~

"That was actually fun, wolf-boy." 

"Good. I just live to make you happy." Kouga said, sarcastically and bitterly. He groaned as he tried to sit up, his youkai longevity still healing the scraps and bruises covering his body

Halfway across the ruined field, Kagura picked a stray leaf from her hair, still smiling from the battle's adrenalin rush afterglow. She really didn't realize that she'd feel so good having fights. She always seemed to resent it in Naraku's service. Evidently she didn't resent fighting, just Naraku.

Of course, she was starting to feel grimy and needed a bath after that afternoon's battle . Talking about baths...

"So you're going to keep coming back to fight me, aren't you?"

Kouga's eyes widened and he flipped over and moved into a wary crouch. Was she going to try attacking him and finishing him off so she wouldn't be inconvenienced? "Yes. I'm not giving up."

"Okay then. But let's have some ground rules."

Kouga's jaw dropped. "What?"

"You've got something you want to prove, or are you're a masochist. Now, I can spare some time to kick your ass once in a while, but on my terms. First off, no more ambushes."

"Fine."Kouga growled trying not to remember what happened that morning, as it still seemed to elicit a blush from him.

"So, I'll find you. We-" Kagura corrected herself. "The group I'm traveling with stops off for dinner about an hour before dusk." Kagure knew Sesshoumaru liked to go a certain amount of distance each day but even with Rin riding with the burden beast, Ah-Uh, half the time, Rin was too delicate. Rin never complained but Sesshoumaru disliked the listless, dark-eyed look Rin had when tired. "So I'll usually meet you then. How 'bout a fight every seven days or so? I thought you still had a tribe to take care of."

Kouga grudgingly accepted.

"Any other terms?" Kouga asked, suspiciously.

"None. If you want to get your can kicked, and you're not too stupid to follow the rules, I'll oblige."

~*~*~

A couple weeks later...

Kagura slipped back into camp to retrieve her bathing supplies. Sometimes she didn't even think Sesshoumaru noticed her absence, now or anytime she went to meet and duel Kouga. 

Disappointed, she turned to leave again. "I'll be back in a little while." She said, not resisting the urge to bring herself to Sesshoumaru's attention.

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly as he stared into the fire, not looking up at her and barely nodding in acknowledgment. Truthfully, he already knew she had returned. Her scent was enough to alert him to her presence. Of course, the slight stench of the wolf's blood and sweat trailed after her as it did every time she returned. The first time it happened, he had thought the incident resolved. But Kagura seemed to have a reason to fight him repeatedly.

Thankfully, she took a bath afterwards, to get rid of the offensive scent of another male canine youkai that wasn't his kin, so only her clean scent of sweet wind and femininity was left behind. 

Sesshoumaru blinked, wondering when he had stopped smelling the hodgepodge of youkai that was Naraku when he caught her scent. Then again, her scent had never been offensive, as her creator's had been. If it had, he wouldn't have let her into his group.

Sesshoumaru absently wondered why she continued to fighting with the wolf, Kouga, then stopped himself. It was her business and didn't concern him. He didn't want to, but he would respect that.

---

An now for another thrilling episode of Pointless Omake Theater! (Slight Spoiler for beyond around Episode 100 in the anime.)

  
  


Seeing the vague profile of a short ponytail and someone with delicate feminine features, amid the cloud of steam in a clearing, Kouga could see that his victim hadn't been alerted to his presence. Now he had the advantage of surprise and planned on using it.

Kouga charged through the underbrush and the tendrils of steam obscuring his prey.

"Bitch! I have you n-!" Kouga began to yell as he prepared to throw a punch, but his step faltered for a split second as he was startled by the wide-eyed look given to him. Unfortunately, his forward momentum caused him to still plow into his victim and tackle him to the ground.

"Ah! But you're supposed to be dead!!" Kouga screamed, scrambling backwards off the half naked human male, traumatized.

"Only a couple of times." Jakotsu smiled, blushing demurely. "But you seem *very* alive! Maybe you might be my type of guy after all..."

"I hate omakes!" Kouga whimpered.


	4. Chapter 3:Cave

Disclaimer:   


"Sesshoumaru-sama! You got all wet! Your armor will rust. Let this lowly Jaken polish it!" The ever, eager beaver Jaken begged Sesshoumaru. Kagura went back to drying her hair, disgusted. She would never understand why Jaken would take to being so subservient. 

Sesshoumaru doubted the youkai armor would rust but it would benefit from a polishing. Plus it would give Jaken something to do besides complain about Rin and grovel. Sesshoumaru undid his sash and unbuckled the armor and tossed them to the small, green demon, without a glance back. 

Luckily, Jaken wasn't squashed by the heavy breastplate landing on him. Well, not THAT much. 

A fast moving storm had quickly come upon the group. Rather than go through the inconvenience of traveling through it, Sesshoumaru steered the group to a cave he knew of and ordered camp set up for the night. They had still gotten slightly wet but weren't soaked to the bone and had already gotten a small fire set up with some firewood the local villagers stored there as an emergency shelter in the event of war. 

"Kagura-sama? When do you think the storm will end?" 

"Not any time soon. It must have be a typhoon off the coast. Looks like we'll be in here for the night, so you should get ready for bed." Kagura wasn't about to go out and meet Kouga that evening. He would probably not mind getting wet and muddy but she sure as heck would. Still, she hoped he had found shelter. It wouldn't do to have him all sniffly the next time they met. 

"Do you think you could comb my hair again?" Rin asked, hopeful. Having her hair combed by someone else always reminded Rin of when her mother used to do it but Jaken complained and yanked too much. Kagura had done it a couple times before when she was in a good mood. 

"Sure, kid." Kagura smiled as she sat down and rooted through her pack for her comb. Rin came to sit by her. 

Suddenly, the darkened sky light up with the effects of a string of lightning bolts. A minute or so later, the crash of thunder boomed. Startled, Rin jumped, squealed, and glomped the seemingly unaffected Kagura. Rin, realizing how silly it was to be scared at thunder, began giggling. Kagura chuckled, good-naturedly. 

"What's that?"Rin asked spotting something moving on the top of Kagura's open pack. 

"What's-!" Kagura gasped as she saw her beloved pouch being opened by the hands of a curious child. 

"Oo! It's pretty! And moving!" The red, glowing orb within the pouch was indeed moving, or rather pulsating quickly. Kagura wasn't so unaffected by the thunder as she outwardly seemed. 

"Gimmie that!"Kagura snatched it from Rin's hands. The contents of the pouch were highly personal but now Rin knew. Kagura looked over at the others. Jaken seemed absorbed by his work and Sesshoumaru seemed to be ignoring her, as usual. So Kagura huddled with Rin and explained. "It's-it's my heart. Naraku took it out of me when he made me. He used it to force me to do whatever he wanted. So it has to remain a secret." 

"Oh. So that's why you kidnaped me." 

"Er, yeah. By the way, I, uh, hope I didn't rough you up much." 

"It's okay. You didn't." Rin beamed, but then turned serious. "But you should get that back into your chest. What if you lose it, and someone steps on it? Or takes it to control you again." 

"Yes, I've already thought of that. I- I don't know how to do it." There was a lot of things Naraku never taught Kagura, keeping her purposely ignorant. That fact had become blatantly obvious in the months after his death. Worse yet, Kagura knew she couldn't risk begging the more powerful youkai to teach her or restore her heart. Like Rin said, a higher youkai could force her to do whatever he wants. 

"Maybe Sesshoumaru-sama knows." 

Kagura glanced at the youkai lord at the mouth of the cave, who was tensed, with his hand on the hilt of one of his swords, staring out into the rain. Though he let her tag along, Sesshoumaru wasn't the helpful type. She still remembered the last time she begged for his help and she wasn't about to let herself open to that kind of rejection again. Of course, how was Kagura to explain this to the small child that idolized him as her personal angel of protection and mercy. "Rin, " she sighed. "I don't think that-" 

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin interrupted her, yelling out to Sesshoumaru, much to Kagura's chagrin. "Can you please put Kagura-sama's heart back in her chest!?" 

"Dammit, Rin! It was supposed to be a secret!" Kagura screamed at the child, hurt. 

"I can do it." Sesshoumaru quietly said as he continued to look out into the rain. 

"What?" Kagura hesitantly tensed herself, cynically wondering what the catch was. "What do you want for it?" 

Sesshoumaru turned to her, frowning as if slightly offended. "There's nothing you have that I want." Then it was Kagura turn to be offended as her face heated up with an angry flush. "It's a simple thing to do. I have nothing else to do at the moment." 

Kagura scowled, seething. The way he could fluff off her existence was infuriating. She opened her mouth to yell at him that he could keep his blasted charity, when suddenly the thought struck her that he was *helping* her. This is what she wanted, wasn't it? 

Sesshoumaru walked up to her and then stepped behind her. She was about turn around and ask him where he was going when he reached around her, placing his hand on her stomach and pulled her down onto his lap as he sat onto the cave's floor. Kagura blushed as she felt herself panicking that she could feel his steady heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest against her back. "What the hell do you-" 

Kagura blushed even harder, as she felt Sesshoumaru's hot breath against her ear lobe. "It will be painful, but do not be afraid. I know what I am doing." 

Kagura clutched at the pouch containing her heart, which was pulsating even faster at Sesshoumaru's close proximity. He was never this nice to her or anyone. She jumped as she felt his hand shift from her stomach. Confused by the flow of fear, curiosity, and some unknown emotions, Kagura absently wondered why she wasn't angry even though she suddenly felt so helpless. 

Kagura flinched when she felt his hand gently tracing her collarbone as he eased the fabric of her kimono open. 

"Sesshoumaru! Stop that!" Kagura grabbed his hand away from her. 

"I'm just trying to get these out of the way. I'm not trying to be..." Sesshoumaru paused for a second to come up with the right word. " Familiar." 

Of course, that didn't ease Kagura tension, besides adding an unknown feeling of disappointment and emptiness to the mix that was quickly forgotten as Sesshoumaru continued to widen the front of her kimono enough to get to the site, sliding each side off her shoulders. 

"Psst... Rin!" Jaken averted his gaze from whatever his master was doing with Naraku's detachment. His master was perfect and graceful, yet didn't have good timing for such things, evidently. Sesshoumaru should have waited until he was alone with the woman. "Rin, get over here!" Jaken loudly whispered. 

"Jaken-sama, I don't want to help you right now. After the magic!" Rin was lying on her belly with her head propped up, watching the two youkai with rapt, innocent curiosity and attention. Though Rin would be happy to serve her beloved Sesshoumaru by helping Jaken, Rin knew a prime opportunity to see something neat when she saw it. 

Kagura blushed as she suddenly remembered the incidental audience she had, but then realized how Sesshoumaru was being considerate enough to stop short of exposing her breasts. "Maybe we should-." 

"Kagura." Sesshoumaru said softly yet disappointedly clinical, as he opened his hand. "The heart?" Kagura hesitated for a second before opening the pouch and placing it into Sesshoumaru's hand. Sesshoumaru paused for a couple of seconds, carefully holding it and feeling its excited fluttering. "Brace yourself." 

~*~*~ 

"AAA- choo!" Ginta sneezed loudly. 

"AH! Cover your mouth! You're spraying it everywhere!" Hakkaku complained as the wet youkai and wolves huddled miserably in the makeshift lean-to. "Boss! Tell Ginta to stop that!" 

Kouga sighed as he looked up from yet another failed attempt to make the small pile of sticks light into a fire. Sure, he knew his chances were slim to none considering how damp and green the wood was, but it gave Kouga something to do besides beating the crap out of his followers for stepping on his last nerves "Why are you guys out here anyway?" 

"Why are we out here? We should all be back at our lair. Come on Kouga! Why are you still out here?" 

Kouga was about to lash out at then shook his head and scowled and concentrated on his fire again. "None of your business." A large droplet seeped through the seams of the leather tent. Kouga shivered as the droplet hit him in the middle of his neck and ran down his spine. 

"But Kouga-" Suddenly, an scream of pain pierced the night, interrupting Kouga's subordinate. "What was-?" 

"Shut up!" Kouga barked, torn with indecision. He knew who that scream belonged to, but what could he do? Rush to the rescue? For an enemy? 

~*~*~ 

Sesshoumaru tugged Kagura's robe closed then smoothed her bangs. 

"Is she alright, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin questioned concerned. 

Sesshoumaru didn't answer. He was too busy looking down at the unconscious woman still in his lap. He was reluctantly impressed with her tolerance for pain. The entire process was agonizing, but she had only screamed once. "Ready a bed for her." 

Rin scrambled to obey Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru gently hefted Kagura over his shoulder, then laid her down in the made futon. 

Kagura stirred and groaned groggily. "Sesshou-" she said, before gasping as she felt her heart beat within her chest, a sensation she had always dreamed of feeling. 

"Rest." Sesshoumaru stood up and went back to his spot at the mouth of the cave, before Kagura could even get the chance to thank him. 

Sesshoumaru looked out into the darkness, as the rail fall continued in torrents. It was less furious, having passed the eye of the storm but the rain was still thick. 

Suddenly, the sky light up with the flicker of a lightning bolt, to show a familiar, lone, wolf youkai a dozen meters off from the cave. Sesshoumaru glared and grabbed the hilt of his sword but the wolf was gone by the next strobe of lightning. 

~*~*~ 

And now another trilling (yeah right) omake theater!: 

Seeing the vague profile and the slight scent femininity, amid the cloud of steam in a clearing, Kouga could see that his victim hadn't been alerted to his presence. Now he had the advantage of surprise and planned on using it. 

"Why do I have a odd feeling of deja vu. . . and doom. . .?" Kouga shrugged. He never was one for hesitation. 

Kouga charged through the underbrush and the tendrils of steam obscuring his prey. 

"Bitch! I have you n-!" Kouga began to yell as he prepared to throw a punch, but his step faltered for a split second as he was startled by the one-eyed look given to him. Unfortunately, his forward momentum caused him to still plow into his victim and tackle her to the ground. 

"What a nice surprise... And it's not even my birthday." Kaede wrapped her arms around the startled Kouga. 

Kouga just gave her a horrified look and whimpered. 

"Aw. Don't be like that." Kaede gave him a coy look as her hand slide over his rear. "I won't bite... Unless you ask, of course." 

"Not another omake!" Kouga wailed. "How come Sesshoumaru doesn't have to do omakes!?" 

~*~*~ 

Meanwhile, off stage... 

Sesshoumaru picked up his cup of green tea, and gracefully took a sip. "Not only that, but this Sesshoumaru got to touch the windrider's chest without her getting angry." Sesshoumaru slightly smirked. "It is good to bribe the author." 


	5. Chapter 4:Grove

Disclaimer: HA! I missed a disclaimer last chapter and NOONE noticed!   


Kagura smirked and wondered which attack would be fun for today. Maybe it was time for another bladed tornado attack again. The confused expression Kouga always got when confronted by it was priceless. 

Kagura knew she had practiced enough on her fine control over the past months that Kouga wouldn't be injured too much. She usually concentrated on making sure the wind blades in the funnel hit him on his chest and back where his breastplate protected him. She'd have to be careful. Kouga did have a lot of exposed skin with his arms, face, and legs always bare. Somehow she always felt a slight twinge of regret slicing up and marring his tanned skin even if it would be healed by the next time they fought. 

Occasionally, Kagura wondered if the only reason Kouga left his limbs bare was mobility. "If he really wanted to he'd probably be able to get some armor that didn't restrict his movements. Knowing him, he just wants to show off how muscular his legs are. Which is silly considering I'm the only female he's been hanging out with lately. He should probably get out more. Oh well, here comes the dumb beast." Kagura said to herself fondly, as a dust cloud was seen in the distance, heading towards their agreed upon meeting spot. 

"He's taking his sweet time getting here though." Kagura couldn't help but mutter as Kouga finally got there. She had been looking forward to their fight since the last one five days before. She was even thinking about telling Kouga after today's duel they'd be moving up the schedule to every three days. 

"Ready for your regularly scheduled spanking, Kouga-*kun*?" Kagura sweetly sneered, mimicking the honorific the time traveler miko, Kagome, used to call him. It usually did well to get Kouga's hackles up. 

"Let's see if you can manage it today, Kagura-chan!" Kouga tossed right back, unfazed. 

"I seem to somehow manage every time." Kagura made sure to give him her most dazzling smile. 

"Yes, but some people can actually spend their time doing something useful like training. To improve, instead of just wandering being ignored by their precious lord. You shouldn't underestimate them." 

Kagura's smile faltered a bit and then widened. The usual verbal foreplay was over. The boy thought he was tough. She'd might as well oblige him and give him the attack he never could get out of. 

"Whatever, Kouga. Tornado Blades." 

Kagura smirked as she saw the tornado swallow Kouga into it's depths. The last couple of times she'd tried this tactic, Kouga had spent his time dodging and blocking the swirling blades of the countless number of smaller tornados making up the tornado, until he was completely spent. The very last time, she lifted the twister after a while, to find an scratched up and unconscious youkai-boy. After checking to see if he was still alive (In other words, she kicked him in the side to see if he'd grunt. Even the unconscious have pain reactions.) she had just left him there in the field somewhat disappointed that he hadn't lasted longer. 

Suddenly, there was a bulge in the side of the tornado's wall. Kagura blinked and focused on containing the twister but it wasn't working. The whole thing started to wobble violently like unbalanced child's toy-top. Then a smaller dust devil separated from the main tornado, straight at her. 

Kouga must have figured out that he couldn't fight her attack. But since he could control a smaller tornado, he melded his dust devil with the wall of the tornado easily, insulating himself from her attack. Then he split his dust devil from the tornado while she was focused on righting the tornado. He really had improved! 

Of course, her inspection of her partner's fighting abilities was cut off by the sudden need to block the punch aimed directly at her. She didn't even have time to raise a wind wall. Instead, she blocked with her forearm thrown up to protect her face. 

Kagura screamed as she was thrown back. So much for having fun and games. 

~*~*~ 

Kagura came back to the camp still wincing. Her arm was a blue mass of swelling. She knew it was broken and might even be shattered into a couple pieces. Though she knew her demon healing would take care of it before sunrise, she still didn't want to risk it healing wrong and being twisted or deformed. 

She didn't have time now to ponder the shocked look in Kouga's eye when he noted that he finally got in a good, direct, disabling hit. She definently didn't have time to ponder why he was stupid enough to suddenly take off when the battle was going his way. She had thought that was what he always wanted. 

She went to the edge of a camp where a grove of bamboo grew and sliced a good length off. She, then, went to her pack where she knew she had some bandages just in case Kouga got lucky. While she was in her pack she found a lone chopstick. She had lost the other one earlier that week and since she figured she didn't need the one she had. So she placed the chopstick between her teeth to bite to prevent herself from screaming out as she tightened the bandage around her injured arm and bamboo splint. 

"What happened?" Sesshoumaru walked up to her. 

"I fell." She managed to say around the chopstick. "Ow!" She winced as Sesshoumaru gently picked up her arm and surveyed her binding and grudgingly approved. 

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Did she really think that he didn't know where she had been? That he couldn't smell the wolf's stench clinging to her along with her every couple of days? "Do not lie to me." 

Kagura shrugged as she took back her arm and rolled her kimono's sleeve down. "It doesn't matter how it happened. It's my own busi-." She went turned back to repack her things. 

"No, it is not." Sesshoumaru pulled her around by her good arm to face him. "I do not want you to meet again with him. You must have let your guard down and allowed him to break your arm. I-." 

Kagura growled. Sesshoumaru had chosen a crappy day to get on her case. "So suddenly you are taking an interest in my life? Maybe I should do the same and ask where you are going every time you get the whim to leave for several days?" 

Sesshoumaru blinked. He wasn't trying to go in that direction. "That is none of your concern." 

"Let me get this straight. You can dictate my life but I can't even ask about yours?" Kagura glared at Sesshoumaru as she took several angry steps until she was right in his face. 

Sesshoumaru was a well spoken noble youkai, feared, lightning fast, and vicious on the battlefield. Both of them knew it. But that didn't seem to matter in this argument. 

"That is not what I meant." Sesshoumaru frowned. He wasn't used to talking so much or dealing with irrate, emotional females. Why couldn't she just be agreeable like Jaken and Rin? 

"Oh! Are you going to give me that 'If I can't get stronger, I should just accept my fate' speech? And somehow that'll prevent me from going out and training and getting stronger. Then I can stay here with you and accept all your little orders like I did for Naraku!" 

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly as he took a step back. "You are twisting my words." 

"No, that's impossible! You're the Great and Powerful Sesshoumaru-sama, Lord of the Western Lands! No one can force or twist you! Unlike some measly little throwaway piece of flesh of Naraku's!" 

With that, Kagura stomped away and then flew away on her feather, leaving Sesshoumaru wonder why he suddenly felt so confused. He didn't say any of that. 

___   


A/N Tornados have been proven to be made up of smaller twisters (which are made of even smaller twisters, which are made up of smaller... etc.) How do I know this? Because I watch PBS! Mwahahahaha...! 

Anyway, I just got back from a wedding so sorry for the short chapter and slight cliffhanger. Will complete what I wanted to be the rest of the chapter this week and post it next week... as long as I get plenty of reviews. 

[insert omake here... crap! I can't think of a joke! Writer's block!!] 

Seeing her vague profile amid the cloud of steam in a clearing, .... 

"Okay.Pointy ears, short hair, kinda poofy though. Must be the steam." Kouga sighed as he tried to discern the scent, once again having it interferred by the sulfur of the springs. "No stench of death or humanity. I think I smell youkai... why am I doing this again?" 

But since this an omake, there is no real explaination. 

Kouga charged through the underbrush and the tendrils of steam obscuring his prey. 

"Bitch! I have you n-!" Kouga began to yell as he prepared to throw a punch, but his step faltered for a split second as he was   
startled by the wide-eyed look given to him. Unfortunately, his forward momentum caused him to still plow into the small person. Luckily, Kouga had aimed high so when he tackled Shippou, he hadn't hit the boulder Shippou was standing on before but had sailed right into the hotspring with the kitsune. 

"What the?" Kouga muttered as he flipped his wet ponytail out of his face and held up nude furball by his tail. 

"I was just taking a bath! WAHHH! Kagome, help me!" Shippou wailed, flailing his arms around the best he could. 

"Kagome?" Kouga looked up to suddenly notice the other occupants of the spring, namely a red faced Sango and Kagome trying to cover their bare chests as best they could with wash cloths. 

"Thank you!" Kouga whispered up to the heavens. Finally, a good omake!... at least, it was until Inuyasha and Miroku jumped out of their protective (*coughpeekingcough*) place nearby to defend their womenfolk... 

"What about me?" Shippou sniffed, big eyed. 

...(*sigh*) until Inuyasha and Miroku jumped out of their protective place nearby to defend their womenfolk and the uber-kawaii Shippou. Needless to say, a very large fight ensues. 

Especially when Miroku made the mistake of pausing midfight to note that "I didn't know Kagome-sama had a birthmark on her upper thigh before," when she and Sango was trying to sneek off. Kouga and Inuyasha didn't really appreaciate the observation though. 

Neither did Sango considering how fast she can put on her catsuit and got into the fight. 


	6. Chapter 5:Cliff

Kouga laid back again the large tree. It was late twilight, already well past the usual time of his and Kagura's fights. Normally, he'd be two miles downwind, away from where-ever Sesshoumaru camped. Normally, he would be waiting for her, not hundreds miles away, heading back to his home mountain. 

Kouga closed his eyes and wondered what she was doing. 

Of course, he didn't have much time to ponder that because a wind blade gouged a slash in the tree an inch from his left ear. 

Kouga yelped in surprise and scrambled to his feet, all while checking to make sure his long, full ponytail was still there. There was only one person that could have attacked him like that. "Kagura?" 

"You (bleep)ing bastard! How dare you stand me up!" 

"I didn't feel like-" Kouga began and then had to jump for cover as Kagura attacked again. 

"You didn't feel like it! I'm the one that got my arm broken! I'm the one that got into an argument with Sesshoumaru! I'm the one that had to sleep on the bare ground last couple of nights to prove a point! And I'm the one that was the one friggin' stood up! Prepare yourself for an ass whoopin' wolf!" 

Kouga stuck his head out from around the boulder he was hiding behind. "Hey, your love life isn't my fault! If you have a problem with your inbred dog- Eep!" he yelled back and then ducked to avoid the wind blade aimed at his head. 

~*~*~ 

"Jaken-sama? When do you think Kagura-sama will come back?" Rin asked, while swinging her legs back and forth from the low-hanging tree limb she was sitting on. 

"It's about time she left. Yet another female to delay Sesshoumaru-sama and my travels." Jaken snorted in disdain, remembering those golden times with Sesshoumaru where they patrolled the lands together without neither woman nor child to slow there quest for power for Sesshoumaru-sama. 

"But Jaken-sama, I would have thought you'd want Kagura-sama to come back. I thought you said you lived to make Sesshoumaru-sama happy." 

Jaken blinked. "What do you mean?" 

"Well, he's been so sad ever since she left." Rin looked over at her lord sitting under a tree on the other end of the clearing, who was staring off into the distance 

Jaken followed her gaze to the serene-faced Sesshoumaru staring off into the distance. "Rin, can I ask you a question?" 

"Sure, Jaken-sama!" Rin said brightly. 

"How can you tell?" 

~*~*~ 

Kouga scrambled backward on his butt, until he could feel the wall of a cliff behind him and even then he still wanted to continue crab-crawling away. He was doomed and he knew it. 

All the other times he'd faced her the situation was different. Whether on order from Naraku or in their duels, she had a cynical yet gleeful wit that remained with Kouga long after the wounds she gave faded. At first, it had infuriated him, but now he'd give anything to heard her sweet mocking and to know she wasn't angry. 

Kouga never knew Kagura could look as frightening as she did towering over him, backlit by the moon. Her normal wry smirk was gone, vanished along with the sparkle in her eyes, leaving only a blank sort of cold loathing in its place. Kouga's instincts wanted him to cower and whimper, but he could barely get up, and in any case, his mind was warning him that no amount of showing throat would win him a shred of mercy. 

"Well, that was a nice workout." Kagura remarked as her mouth widening into a sincere smile. Adrenaline still pumping in his veins, Kouga flinched a bit when she bent over to ruffle his bangs companionably. "I think I'm relaxed enough to go make up with his mighty asshole-ness." 

Kouga opened his eyes and stared at her retreating form, readying her giant feather. Feeling used, confused, and above all abused, Kouga couldn't let her leave without saying something to try salvaging some of his male pride. "Hey! What the f*** was that about? If you're going to attack me, don't stop to do your nails or talk about your love life!" 

Kagura ignored Kouga's comment. She gave him one last glance over her should as she climbed onto her feather. "Never make me wait again." 

Kouga couldn't help but shake his head, ruefully, as he got up. He dusted himself off, and began to limp off. 

"Crazy bitch. Who understands women, anyway?" 

~*~*~ 

Kagura took a deep breath. It was now or nothing and she really hated sleeping without her bedroll. 

Sesshoumaru looked up at the sudden arrival of Kagura atop her feather in the middle of the clearing. 

"Kagura-sama!" Rin squealed as she jumped down from her tree branch and ran up to the demoness but was stopped by Sesshoumaru standing up and barring her way. She looked up questioning at her hero and stood there. 

Kagura faltered for a second then stood up taller and sneered at Sesshoumaru, staring him straight in the eye. "Well?" 

Sesshoumaru frowned and looked away. He was a mighty demonlord not a child. He was almost completely sure he didn't do anything wrong. 

Kagura, seeing that Sesshoumaru wasn't going to respond, stomped over to her pack, still on Ah-Uh's broad back. "Fine then! If you have nothing to say to me then I don't have anything to say to you! See ya around, Sesshy." 

"But Kagura-sama! You can't go! You promised you'd teach me how to dance!" Rin protested and tugged on Sesshoumaru's sleeve. "Sesshoumaru-sama, please ask her to stay." 

Kagura stopped. About a day or two before she left, Jaken had ridiculed Rin as clumsy when she had tripped while skipping.It was then that she had told Rin she would teach the child. 

"Rin," Kagura sighed as she angrily ran her hand through her bangs. "This really isn't the time-" 

"But it'll never be the time if you leave us." Rin quietly said, hurt and started to pout. Her large eyes appearing even larger with the tears quivering in them. Kagura looked and regretted it as she felt her gut twist with guilt. She cursed under her breath. 

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and looked away. "Promises should be fulfilled." He commented. 

On principle, Kagura glared at him for ganging up on her with the child, then softened. 

"Maybe I'll stay for a little while. For just the dancing lessons, mind you. Then no more promises!" Kagura said, her dignity appeased. 

"Very well." Sesshoumaru nodded regally and turned away, hiding the tiny lifting of one corner of his lips. 

*** 

A/N: Showing throat is a natural wolf ritual. When 2 wolves battle for dominance, one of them can roll on their bellys or show there throat at any time to end the fight and instantly be forgiven because they had acknowledged the dominance of the other wolf. 

And now onto the omake which is actually different this week! 

"Yes!" Kouga nearly wept openly. "No more stupid hotspring omakes!" 

---   
Your screen is blank and then our beloved main character, Inuyasha is shown. 

"Hello, guys." The perky, fake sounding voice of a television announcer is heard. "Are you a date-less loser with no lovin'?" 

Inuyasha glares at the camera. "Hey! Why are you zooming on me as an example!" 

"Are you tired of having every Friday night free but are dreading the 'club scene'?" 

"I'll have you know-" Inuyasha became frustrated. "Shut up!" He then runs off camera to go sulk. 

"Have you tried dealing with those *other* lesser services where they try fixing you up with every desperate, pathetic, loser in a tri-city area? Are you tired of their endless questions and personality tests? Well we have a solution. Presenting to you THE CHIBI DATING SERVICE ADVANTAGE!" 

The camera shot changes to show dozens of super- saccharin cute children posing and looking generally ... cute. 

The Anouncer continues. "The truth is *Chicks dig Kids!* Forget questions. The Chibi Dating Service just gives you a cute child to hang out with and make you look like a caring person. Before you know it, you'll be nurturing your way into the heart (and panties) of the girl of your dreams! Listen to this testimonial!" 

"Hello." Miroku smile glints at the screen. "Once I was a wandering priest with a even more wandering hand. No matter how hard I tried, I could get no girl to bear me a son to carry my line. But since I've been traveling with my assigned Chibi, Shippou," Shippou smiles from where's he munching some sort of candy, "I'm starting to get swamped with beautiful village girls every town I visit! Women just melt. Sooner or later I'll convince the hottie I want to bear my child!" 

"Houshi-sama? What are you doing?" Sango approaches, irrate. 

Miroku winks at the camera and then turns to Sango. "Hey Sango, isn't Shippou cute?" He says shoving Shippou into Sango's face. Shippou give her a super, big eyed look as he licks his lollipop ultra cute because he knows if he fulfills his duties Miroku will take him swimming in the river! (Shippou> Yay!) 

Sango blinks and takes Shippou, softening instantly. She begins to actually smile. 

Miroku turns to the camera and gives the thumbs up sign. "Thank you, Chibi Dating Service!" 

"Chibi Dating Service can also help heal things over with your current girl." The announcer shoves a microphone at Sesshoumaru, who regards the mic and announcer with the same degree of neutral loathing. "Tell our viewers how having a cute child around saved the relationship you ruined with your pigheaded pride!" 

". . . "Sesshoumaru glares at the announcer and briefly considers destroying the impertinent mortal. Instead, he just turns around and leaves. 

The Announcer continue, unruffled and the scene changes to show Kouga and his crew. "See, these guys don't use our service. No cuteness at all. Completely hopeless." 

"Who the hell are you?! Who are you calling hopeless!?" Kouga jumps to his feet and has to be held back by Hakkaku. 

"Boss, remember your blood pressure!" Hakkaku struggled to keep his beloved leader back. 

"What do you mean we're not cute!"Ginta sniffled. 

The Anouncer sweatdrops offscreen. "Okay, you're slightly cute. But not chibi cute. Anyway, call 555-KIDS for the Chibi Dating Service. You'll dig us, 'cause chicks dig kids." 

---   
And now the second omake of the evening! 

"What do you mean ' second omake'?" Kouga growled. 

Well somehow the author has to apologize for the last 2 chapters being short. Plus, I like running   
gags. Here we go! 

--- 

Seeing the vague profile of someone with delicate... 

"Okay, I get it already. Who else would be setup to mistake Kagura for?" Kouga mused to himself. "Sango's still left. Hm. Even if she's a human, she's pretty hot. And she does like leather. I can deal with that. It would actually be fun!." 

(and somewhere Miroku feels the sudden urge to use his Kazaana.) 

... amid the cloud of steam in a clearing, Kouga could see that his victim hadn't been alerted to his presence. Now he had the advantage of surprise and planned on using it. 

Kouga charged through the underbrush and the tendrils of steam obscuring his prey. 

"Bitch! I have you n-!" Kouga began to yell as he prepared to throw a punch, but his step faltered for a split second as he was startled by the wide-eyed look given to him. Unfortunately, his forward momentum caused him to still plow into his victim and tackle him to the ground. 

"AHHH! Anyone but Dog-turd!" Kouga screamed to the heavens, then looked around himself paranoidly to the sudden appearance of bubbles and sparkles as the background became pastel shades. 

"Get offa me! Get offa me! Get offa me!" screamed Inuyasha, probably having a Jakotsu flashback. 

"Inuyasha, are you al-?" Kagome asked as she and the rest of the group rushed into clearing to see what caused Inuyasha to be so alarmed. The sight that hit them caused them to freeze, except for Miroku who covered Shippou's eyes. (Miroku> That is just wrong.) 

"AH! THIS ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" both Inuyasha and Kouga protested in unison, but the sudden, random, almost orgasmic spurt of sakura petals behind them didn't help their case. 

"Kagome?" Sango turned to comfort her no-doubt heartbroken friend. 

Kagome just turned around and shrugged. "At least, he didn't dump me for Kikyou." 


	7. Chapter 6:Tree

Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Summer and the moving of my peerless beta, Mynuet, posponed it. Well, now here it is and I hope you enjoy it.   


Disclaimer: I kinda miss doing disclaimers. The top just looks so empty and gives a bit of 'Hey look! This is the beginning of the chapter! YAY!' feel... oh, by the way, I don't own Inuyasha. 

~*~*~*~ 

"How are you doing?" Sesshoumaru tried to make it sound as if it wasn't out of character. But try as he might, it sounded contrived and forced. "You look unusually attractive today." 

Sesshoumaru frowned (which for him, was the barely discernable downturn of the corner of his lips) and focused. It just sounded wrong. Of course, his partner in this social exercise wasn't giving him any pointers on his delivery. Then again one couldn't expect his partner to give any help considering it was a cherry tree. 

It had been almost two weeks since that first fight. He still wasn't quite sure what set her off again. Sesshoumaru was beginning to think he might not know how to handle females. 

"Hello, Kagura. Nice weather we are having." Sesshoumaru said flatly. Small talk was never his forte. He hadn't attempted it since he was a young pup and had to be respectful to his father's associates. 

Sesshoumaru paused. Talking about a subject like the weather was just idiotic. He knew she'd just raise one of her well-manicured eyebrows and sneer at such a lame line. 

"So how was your outing?" Sesshoumaru attempted to smile but it came out more like a grimace. Then he shook his head and slipped into his old habit of talking to himself."That would not work. She would get angry at me for prying." 

This was getting to be too much for poor Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru didn't even think he needed to think about women until he consolidated his position and rivaled the power of his late father. And even then, he'd only think of a female in the context of a useful tool to produce an alliance and heir. Jaken would probably be the one delegated to arrange it. 

Sesshoumaru didn't want to follow his father's and younger brother's footsteps of having themselves led by any female that suited their fancy. Love didn't fit Sesshoumaru's ideology, which said that a taiyoukai's only goal should be the acquisition of power. He didn't see any reason why he should treat a girl any better than he treated anyone else, which was to dismiss them as beneath himself. 

But now Kagura implied that there was something wrong with him because of that. That he couldn't be 'nice' to a girl no matter what. He didn't know why but he felt compelled to prove her wrong. 

Of course, Rin and Jaken didn't know any of this from their hiding place. They continued to exchange worried looks. They never suspected that after that morning's tiff with the resident winduser, that their beloved lord would go off into the forest to talk to a tree. 

Actually, he had been known to talk to a tree but, in that case, it was a wise and ancient, talking, youkai tree. The tree he was talking to this time appeared to be a regular, young cherry tree in full summer greenery. The situation was beyond bizarre but Sesshoumaru just had to have a reason behind it. 

Rin couldn't take it any longer and stood bolt upright in her hiding place and yelled out, "Sesshoumaru-sama, compliment her on her foliage! It's very pretty!" 

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he glanced back at his followers. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to get into the habit of ignoring certain persons' presences. 

~*~*~ 

It's very odd how the stream of life twists. Kouga wouldn't call it funny, though. There are some things a guy shouldn't have to endure. 

"Because it's not funny! It's pathetic!" Kouga thought to himself bitterly, thankful that no one of his tribe could see him in such a state. How the mighty have fallen. 

"And then I said 'What the f*** do you mean by that!' and you know what he said?" Kagura continued her ranting from her seat. "Nothing! Nothing whatsoever! Do you know how frustrating it is to deal with such a man?" 

"Yeah, yeah. Sesshoumaru's the scum of the Earth." Kouga sighed and grimaced. The worst part of this was that he knew he would be back the next time. And the next. The problem really was that Kouga couldn't fathom why. 

"Dammit! Stop wiggling!" Kagura growled and punctuated the statement by grinding her knuckles between two of his ribs. Kouga whimpered in protest and tried to remain still. He couldn't do anything more and he knew it. Kagura had his wrists bound behind his back and was sitting on him, keeping him pinned with his face in the dirt. "So I told him to damn well answer me because you don't treat a woman like this!" 

"You don't treat a man like this either." Kouga added mentally, continuing his personal tirade at the injustice of her treatment since she had surprised him that morning before he was even able to put on his armor."One thing is getting your butt kicked daily. It's another thing entirely to be ambushed then humiliated by having your wrist tied with a kimono's sash. Then to be forced to hear about another guy. Wait, if Kagura used her sash to bind me then what is keeping her kimono around her..." Kouga mused while trying to slyly crane his neck to look over his shoulder. 

"I said stop moving!" Kagura ordered and rapped Kouga on the head with her fan. He hadn't tried to buck her off that time but she needed to keep in line. It was kinda fun to have someone listen to her for once. "I am not a servant and I am not a child! I am a lady, dammit! And I will not be ignored or talked down to! He needs to know that!" 

Finally, Kouga couldn't keep his tongue. She wasn't extremely heavy and her rear was padded enough but the position of his arms and her occasionally digging her knee into his back was really starting to hurt. "If it's so bad, then why are you there in the first place!" he barked. 

Kagura paused. Her voice softened as she absently put a hand to her chest to feel her heartbeat. "I don't know. He's not all bad. Sure, he can be a distant and cold bastard, yet," she sighed as a smile pulled at her lips, "He can be very nice at times." 

Kouga felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. There are some things a guy shouldn't have to endure. 

~*~*~ 

"Have I told you how lovely you look today?" Sesshoumaru grimaced at the phrasing. 

"Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin let loose a very un-Kagura-like girlish giggle. Even if Rin was technically female like Kagura, Sesshoumaru absently wondered if the tree wasn't a better practice partner. 

"This will not work." Sesshoumaru got up from bended knee in front of the still, giggling Rin. It was idiotic. He could already hear Kagura's voice in his head asking if he ate any funny mushrooms because she sure as hell looks same damn way she looks every damned day. She got denfensive at the oddest times. 

"Yes it will, Sesshoumaru-sama. Trust your loyal Jaken. It always worked on the women in my court. You just take them by the hand, look them in the eye and say it like this." Jaken explained taking a hold of Sesshoumaru's hand and giving his master an intense look while lowering his voice, "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" 

Jaken, then, cocked an eyebrow and then pulled his lips back to give Sesshoumaru a glinting smile worthy of Miroku. 

Sesshoumaru snatched his hand away, deeply disturbed. "Do not EVER do that again." 

After kicking Jaken, he turned away, his eyebrow still twitching, while he wondered whether fire or maybe miko purification was now necessary for his poor hand. 

~*~*~ 

Kagura got off of Kouga's back and released his bindings. Then she sat on the hill side, regarding the wolf boy sitting next to her rubbing the ligature mark off his wrists. 

Kagura corrected herself. From his lanky frame and increasingly muscular build, Kouga was on the edge of full manhood. Another decade or so and one or two more growth spurts, Kouga would be entering his prime. 

Kagura cleared her throat, deciding to redirect to safer subjects than odd appeal the combination of dirt, sweat, and leather made on Kouga. The fight Kouga put up that morning was a good subject. "Hey, nice move with that one attack, but what was that spinning supposed to be about?" 

"I figured I'd try something new, see if I could distract you enough to get in an extra swipe." 

"Pfft. It was distracting, all right. Damn stupid looking." Kagura wasn't about to tell him the reason it was distracting was that centrifical forces do interesting things even to fur skirts. "Still, you are improving." 

Kouga was caught completely off guard for a second, and a bright hued blush surfaced on his tanned cheeks. Then he sat up a bit talker as his cocky smile instantly came to his lips. 

"What can I say. I'm just that good." Kouga added as an afterthought, "You're not that bad yourself." 

Kagura chuckled. "You sure are a great conversationalist." 

"Of course I am!" he said, ignoring the fact that she had been the one doing the talking for the last hour. 

"I really like how you don't buy into that silent, mysterious, and stoic bullshit." Kagura said, not letting her mind wander to the demon lord that did follow that pattern. Instead, she focused on her dueling partner, who if he puffed up his chest with pride any more, he'd would probably burst. 

Before she had regarded his habit of complete confidence, in spite of all odds, as arrogant and annoying. Now she kinda understood why those two beta-males, who seemed scared of their own shadows half the time, seemed willing to follow him to hell and back if he asked. They say that familiarity breeds in contempt in one's leaders, but Kouga's flaws were somehow endearing and made one want bask in the warm sunshine of his company. It really was nice and Kagura decide that she needed to talk to Kouga more often. 

~*~*~ 

Kagura tried to pick some grass out of her hair. Wrestling with Kouga had gotten her so mussed. She hoped she could get a bath in before Sesshoumaru wanted to go. She still had the excuse of Rin's promise and was in good enough spirits now to be willing to let things slide. 

Kagura looked up and saw Sesshoumaru leaning against a tree at the opening of the clearing they were camped at. He was obviously waiting for her and alerted to her presence, even if he didn't give any indication. 

Kagura's eyes hardened. "So he wants to continue this morning's argument. Fine then." Kagura said to herself, standing taller, completely unintimidated. She walked up to him. "Well, what do you want?" 

Sesshoumaru turned to Kagura. Their eyes met for a few, long seconds when Sesshoumaru abruptly looked away."You look lovely." 

Kagura blinked, not believing her ears were telling her the truth. It took her several seconds for her reeling mind to tell her to say thank you and by then Sesshoumaru had already retreated back to camp. 

~*~*~ 

A/N: In a filler episode in the anime, Jaken revealed his past to Rin. He was a youkai lord/prince over a whole nation of toady-imp-like thingies, like himself. Sesshoumaru saved his life, so Jaken gave up his poisition to serve Sesshoumaru from then on! 

---Omake time! 

"'If I told you, you have a beautiful body, would you hold it against me,'" Sesshoumaru looked down at the piece of paper in his and read. 

If any mood inducing qualities existed in the line (or in his sexy low voice), they were instantly killed by his flat, monotone delivery. Then again, Sesshoumaru wasn't going aiming at sexy because he originally wasn't aiming for pick-up lines having never used them ever in his life. 

"I don't think Kagura-sama would get mad if you told her that she was pretty. It doesn't make any sense." Rin stated, thankfully not getting the double entendre in the line. 

Sesshoumaru, however, ignored her and glared daggers at his diminutive, youkai servant, Jaken. "This list is worthless. 'I'm drunk'? How is that a conversational opening?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. 

"Trust me, Sesshoumaru-sama. It works. " Jaken nods solemnly, remembering the party days of his youth. (Imagine Jaken, feudal-type drunken frat days. Him dancing around with a bottle of sake in one hand, a paper lantern on his head, and waving around one of those fans.) 

Of course, Sesshoumaru wouldn't want to hear about any of those memories. He was too busy being appalled at the amassing of cheesy pick-up lines in his hands."'You are so beautiful that I would marry your brother just to get into your family' ?" 

"Why would you want to marry a man, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin tilted her head, confused. 

"I wouldn't." Sesshoumaru replied to Rin while getting more cross at Jaken. 

"Plus isn't her brother dead? And ugly." Rin asked, then began giggling while imagining Sesshoumaru and the mind-reading reptilian oni, Goshinki, in wedding clothes (or rather just Goshinki's head with a veil on it.) Then she remembered that all that remains of Goshinki is now Sesshoumaru's spare sword, Toukijin. The image of Sesshoumaru marrying his sword was even a more amusing image! 

Sesshoumaru went back to ignoring his giggling, human, . . . well, no one really knew what purpose or role Rin filled in the group. But she was there and that's what mattered! 

"All these lines are either lewd or make no sense. Or both." Sesshoumaru said, disgusted. He threw the papers into Jaken's face and turned to leave. 

"Not all of them! Number 64 is applicable, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken chased after his lord and held up the paper. 

"'Shall we talk or continue flirting from a distance?' " Sesshoumaru bent over and read the pointed out line, his jaw clenching in agitation as a slight beigeish-off-whitish hue spread on his cheeks. 

"What's flirting mean, Jaken-sama?" Rin asked, directing her question to Jaken who always open to talking to her, despite his complaints. 

"Oh it's just what Sesshoumaru-sama and Kagura have been-AHHHHH!" Jaken's voice receded as he was kicked up into the air, well out of sight. 

". . ." Sesshoumaru said nothing, as he stomped off to camp.   


Meanwhile. . . 

"He'll come back to me. I know he will. No one has said such sweet things to me before. *sigh* Oh how handsome my love is! So graceful, and pale, and dignified! Admittedly, a bit on the short side, but I don't mind. How I wait for the time he will embrace me. One day. . ." The lone cherry tree thought to itself as it pined for it's new beloved. 


	8. Chapter 7:Bushes

There once was an author named BattleJoy   
Who felt she should write about a dog boy   
Who belonged to a woman   
Way of in Japan   
I can only watch, and buy all of the new toys. 

(Yeah, it's a crappy limerick but if you haven't noticed, I'm crappy at disclaimers in general.) 

Sorry readers for the lateness of this chapter. My computer is down and dead. Really dead. 

Luckily, I had this chapter on disk, which is a miracle because I never have anything on disk. The last few chapters will be slow in coming. I apologize. 

~*~*~

She was late and he was impatient. 

"Where the hell could she be? She's the one that gets nearly rabid whenever I'm a second late. And here it's nearly sundown!" Kouga paced back and forth, half annoyed and angry, and half worried. 

"Well, if she has the right to fetch me then I have every damned right to get her!" Kouga declared and then set out. 

~*~*~ 

Sesshoumaru was supposed to return early the next morning. So Kagura had worked with Rin's dancing lessons most of the afternoon. Not that Kagura was trying to fulfill her obligation and get out of there. She just thought it would be a nice surprise for the demonlord. 

In the preceding weeks, Kagura had found herself being increasingly relaxed around the dog youkai. Sure, she was always comfortable around Sesshoumaru and they had always treated each other somewhat as equals (Well as close as Sesshoumaru could allow with his arrogance issues) but her defensive nature was finally beginning to fade away. Though still extremely laconic in nature, Sesshoumaru had found that conversation with Kagura and her differing attitude a pleasant change of pace and had started to converse with her daily during their travels about everything from the weather to the strange outcome of the final battle with Naraku. 

Unfortunately, the dancing lessons weren't progressing as fast as she hoped so she could surprise Sesshoumaru the next day. The problem wasn't that Rin wasn't trying. The problem was that Rin was probably trying too hard. 

"Okay. You sweep your arm like this while side stepping." Kagura demonstrated, graceful despite trying to keep time with off-tempo (and off-key) Jaken's singing. 

A determined Rin mimicked Kagura's movement, swinging her arm and then stepping. "Like this?" 

"Close." Kagura lied. Rin was still too tensed. "Feet together and loosen up a bit. Not so stiff. Pretend you're a sapling bending in the wind. Like this." 

Unbeknown to the two females, Sesshoumaru had finished his errand and walked out of the forest line. Gesturing to Jaken to quit his croaking,, he took a seat beneath a tree. Rin and Kagura stopped and turned to see why Jaken stopped singing. 

"Rin, come and sit down. Kagura, could you please continue?" Sesshoumaru leaned back to watch. Rin happily ran over to sit by her lord. 

Kagura just nodded in return. Taking a deep breath, Kagura stood there for a couple of seconds, trying to calm the thundering of the heart within her chest. Not it was the first time she danced for anyone. She had done it dozens of time for Naraku when he's get moody about a failed plot or about his remaining twisted human desire for Kikyou. Kanna would quietly sit by, the only true audience, since Naraku would also take the opportunity those quiet, rainy nights to get completely drunk and he liked annoying Kagura by making her dance for him. But this time was different, without any resentment and with a bit of actual excitement. 

Kagura closed her eyes and hummed the tune to herself as she began to slowly twirl and dance. 

Rin sat by Sesshoumaru's side as commanded. Sesshoumaru didn't have a smile. Only the eternally, neutral expression that usually was there graced his features. But Rin could see a small light glow within his eyes as he watched the wind dancer, obviously pleased. He was in such a good mood, that he didn't seemed to mind at all that Rin leaned and cuddled into his side. He even absently placed his hand on her head and stroked her hair as if she was a puppy. Rin sighed, in childish bliss. She loved it when Sesshoumaru was happy. 

Nearby, Jaken grumbled to himself as he leaned against his staff. The wind youkai did have some innate talent, Jaken thought grudgingly. With some formal training, she'd would rival any dancer in any court, human or youkai. Sesshoumaru-sama seemed to be enjoying himself. Yet Jaken looked at his lord with mixed feelings.   


On one hand, Kagura was Naraku's detachment. The despised hanyou might have been dead, but surely his spawn was unworthy of the Great Sesshoumaru-sama! (then again was anyone worthy of him *sigh*) Plus she was little too uppity and quick tempered, by Jaken's standards. Sesshoumaru should have a sweet tongued and high-born lady to quench his desires instead of a loud mouthed, hanyou-tainted shrew. Jaken still wondered why Sesshoumaru hadn't destroyed or at least cast her out the first time she dared question him. 

Then again, Jaken was still wondering why he kept the human whelp too. 

On the other hand, it was almost worrying exactly how dignified and uninterested in girls (or anyone in that matter) Sesshoumaru was at times. Jaken knew that gentlemen routinely indulged in dalliances throughout their youth (and even into old age, as long as some discretion was learned.) Even human-youkai matings were met with a waggled finger and a wink in most youkai tribes. One just had to make sure there was no resulting hanyou and if there was, it never survived to adulthood or received an inheritance. But poor Sesshoumaru-sama had suffered so much from the embarrassment of his father openly falling in love with a human and accepting the hanyou brat, that Sesshoumaru-sama had eschewed any such mistakes. Maybe it was good if he relaxed just a little bit. A youkai female, not from his lands, probably had the right mixture of sowing his wild oats while not being too shameful. 

Hopefully, Sesshoumaru would finally bed her, tire of her and get back on the only pursuit worthy of his lord: Power! If things went well, he wouldn't become too attached and have her travel with them very long. Maybe Sesshoumaru-sama would be generous that a small manor and an allowance given to her. 

Maybe, if the gods were kind and Sesshoumaru-sama stopped indulging in odd fancies, she would keep the human child, as well! 

Suddenly, Jaken's hopeful musings were interrupted as he heard some rustling coming from the bushes behind him. Jaken waddled into the middle of the bushes, poking around with his staff. 

"Who goes th- UMPH! *Kanonk.*" 

Kouga hugged the unconscious toad-like demon to his chest, covering his mouth in case he woke up. But Kouga doubted it. He also doubted if Jaken knew who had knocked him out since had come from behind Jaken. Kouga was a master hunter and sometimes that required some stealth. You couldn't resolve all situations by running out and kicking some butt after all. (But you can try!^_^) 

Kouga had seen dancing girls before. Several years before, Kouga and his friend had ambushed a bandit party that was killing and scaring the game in their territory. So Kouga suddenly had on his hand several dozen suits of armor and clothing with some easily rinsed out bloodstains. Add to that the fact his bud, Hibana, was turning 150 that day and they were all bored. This resulted in the whole group of adolescent wolf-youkai boys dressing up like humans to go to a tea house. 

The trip didn't turn out well. Not only were the fake mustaches all of them used itchy, (they had to pass for adults as well as humans) the fare wasn't very good. The 'tea' that they heard was so good turned out to be just bitter boiled plant water. Humans seem to prefer mostly food based off rice of all things, which didn't suit a wolf's palate. The other drink, 'sake', was horrible tasting but did make them pretty good after they had a choice between that and the tea. It did cause them all to get ill in the morning though, which was a real pain when the local constable came along to make them pay for the damages they all caused when they were still tipsy. (Actually they were drunk. Really, really drunk.) 

But the real reason they were there in the first place was to see the dancing girls and geishas. It's hard to just fool around when all the girls you knew were either related to you or are best-friends with your female cousins. But the human girls all turned out disappointing. With their round faces coated in layers of thick paint, and screechy giggles that would set anyone's teeth on edge, Kouga had thought they were too annoying for words. Plus none of the other guys got giggled over being the cutest country bumpkin the girls had ever seen. As for the dancing, Kouga hadn't seen anything special about their twirling and overly enthusiastic sweeping arm movements. 

But that experience didn't compare with Kagura's dancing. Graceful and beautiful didn't seem adequate ways to describe the way she swirled or the slight sway of her hips or the fluidity of her gestures. Every step, gesture, and demure smile she gave seemed imbued with coy invitation. Unfortunately, Kouga knew none of them were directed towards him. 

It was directed at the pale, stately dog demon lord sitting several dozen yards upwind from Kouga's hiding place. What was the big deal about a stupid dog, anyway? Wolves were much better. 

Sesshoumaru glanced back at Kouga's hiding place, feeling as if he was being watched. But then he went back to focus back on Kagura's finale. Kagura spun as small leaves, and flower petals from the field circled around here picturesquely. 

Sesshoumaru raised from his seat and went up to Kagura (and stood way too close to her, in Kouga's opinion.) "Your movements were lovely, graceful, and very pleasing." 

Kagura opened her fan and smiled demurely behind it, feeling immensely flattered. "Sesshoumaru, you are too kind." 

Sesshoumaru's lip quirked slightly as he felt compelled to add, as he reached out to brush the back of her hand with his fingertips. "Now if only your tongue was the same way." 

Kagura looked away, feigning offense that belied her smile. "My tongue's pleasing enough, when I need it to be." 

Kouga growled from his vantage point in the bushes nearby. Wolf ears were just as sensitive as dog ears. "Not for him it better not be!!" He growled, somehow for once getting the innuendo that the others had missed. Then he flattened himself to the ground when he saw Sesshoumaru look suspiciously in his direction. Kouga cursed. He hated having to sneak around like this. But most of all, he hated having to see her making a fool of herself, chasing after the stupid mutt. 

~*~*~ 

"Are you ready? " Kagura said nearly skipping into the glen. " I thought of a new variation for our duel." 

In the months that had followed since there duels started, they had truly morphed into games for the two youkai. Mostly play but with the slight edge of danger because Kagura would get upset if Kouga pulled any punches and her wind blade would suddenly get edges. 

"I was playing this game with Rin the other day, where you try and get by a blindfolded player." Kagura couldn't help but laugh at the remembered image of Jaken tripping onto his face as he tried to catch Rin. It seemed a fun game and Kagura wanted to try it with someone she didn't mind tackling her. 

But Kouga wasn't quite in the mood, still upset over what he thought was Kagura's disgusting display in front of Sesshoumaru. 

"Hmph. I don't want to." Kouga folded his arm and closed his eyes not even looking at Kagura. He tried to will himself not to feel apprehensive or appear nervous when he peeked to see that Kagura was going out of his peripheral vison as she circled around him. Finally he couldn't stand it anymore and he turned his head to look at what she was doing. "Let's duel another day- Kagura, wha- Hey!" Kouga panicked as Kagura slipped a strip of fabric over his head. 

Scrambling to his feet and suddenly on guard, Kouga glared at Kagura. "You wanted to choke me to death!" 

"No, idiot. It's just a ordinary, dark colored scarf Sesshoumaru gave me. Like I would choke you instead of slitting your throat." Kagura sighed at the confused look Kouga gave her. "For a blindfold? For today's duel? Remember?" 

"I told you I'm calling off the duel today!" Kouga clenched his fists. 

"Why? You don't have anywhere to be." Kagura said, walking calmly up to him and held out the scarf. "And neither do I. Now be a good boy put the damned blindfold on." 

"No, I said NO! I won't put it on!" 

"Then I'll put it on you, you big baby." Kagura sidestepped behind Kouga and yanked out his headband and hairtie.   


"Yeowch! Get your claws out of my hair, harpy!" 

"Nothing but a big baby." Kagura muttered as she smoothed and combed his hair back with her fingers. Kouga sucked in his breath as he felt her tuck some hair behind his pointy ears, also absently stroking them. Then she firmly tightened the blindfold around his head and positioned it so he wouldn't see. 

"So hag, what am I supposed to be doing?" Kouga said sourly. 

"Catching me, dumbass," she whispered in his ear then stepped back. A swoosh of air alerted Kouga to the fact that she was on her feather-boat and airborne. 

"That's no fair, Kagura! You should have a handicap too!" Kouga yelled out to the sky. If he was going to play her stupid game, then at least he could get some concessions so he wouldn't feel like such a weakling. 

"Life isn't fair, but if you insist . . . how 'bout this? I have to be within 50ft of you at all times." 

"5." 

"You've got to be kidding me. 40." 

"10." 

"Come on, I need some space from your stench. 30?" 

Kouga remained unmoved. "15." 

"20." 

"Fine. 20." 

"Well? Where am I?" Kouga heard her say and felt a swift wind brush past him. Disconcerted, and trying to focus his other senses on his target, he groped around for Kagura. It really was a surprise how much he did depend on his keen sight. Before he would have bet that hearing and scent would enough. But now he found them somewhat inadequate to her fast darting. 

Still, he was starting to get the hang of it despite Kagura's childish swooping in and pushing him. 

Kouga felt a tug on his tail. He spun and only got the elusive touch of the silk on her sleeve. "Oh you were close that time!" she chuckled as she flew out of range. 

As fun as this was, Kagura knew Kouga would get lucky soon enough. Then she got an idea, which would also make it even more fun. She had to admit her idea was a bit naughty but they were close dueling partners so she didn't see any reason Kouga would be take it badly. 

With a couple well placed windblades, the straps on his shoulder and the hidden straps on the sides holding Kouga's armor were sliced clean through. The two main pieces of Kouga's breastplate fell off him, leaving Kouga open to be hit by a cold blast of air, and the even colder realization that she could have ripped away all protection from him at any time she wanted to. 

The slight clink of his armor alerted Kouga to the fact that his armor was being moved. Kouga would be damned if he'd let Kagura completely take it. He chased after his armor that was being whisked away, until he felt a force hook his ankle, causing him to trip. 

Kouga spat out the grass in his mouth. "Give me back my armor!" He yelled at the sky impotently, irritated at feeling so vulnerable. 

Kouga bent over to pick up and feel around for his armor, not knowing that Kagura already used her wind powers to whisk it away. He could feel his cheek burning with a full blush as he felt something gently run up the back of his thigh. Straightening up, Kouga spun around paranoidly. "Kagura! Why did you do that?" 

"Do what?" Kagura's voice whispered in his ear as Kouga felt the soft texture of a feather tickle a path along his collar bone. Kouga jumped forward snatching at thin air. "Not even close, Kouga-kun." 

Kouga shivered as he felt another caress go up his spine, making his skin feel oddly hot and ultra-sensitized. He was torn between feeling completely exposed and being thankful that his torso was bare to the faint, cooling breeze swirling around him. 

Confused by her sudden change in tactics and even more frightened at the reaction in his body that was starting, Kouga barked out, "Stop it!" , spinning around and grasping at a woosh of wind. 

"Stop what?" Kagura laughed, not knowing why he was getting so red-faced. It really was amazing. Smack him across the back of the head and he wouldn't blink but just a gentle stroke and fear was radiating from him in waves. 

Kouga growled. How dare she try to sound all innocent when she was the one swirling a feather around his nipples? "This isn't funny!" 

"Yes it is!" Kagura laughed as she watched him attempt to bat away the feather tracing the edge of his ear rim and lobe. 

Kouga dodged and leaped in the direction he hoped Kagura was. She had to be in arm's reach if she was able to tease like this. She couldn't fly faster than he could leap, then how was she able to outmaneuver him? Kouga faked to the left and then leaped to the right with no result. He felt a whoosh of air up his front so he reached out his arm and swung all the way around, snatching at open air. This when on for several minutes. 

Cursing her and himself for looking so foolish attacking randomly, Kouga stood still and tried to will himself to concentrate and figure out how she was doing it. 

Of course she wasn't making it easy on him by playfully running her feather down his abs. Kouga was really starting to become thankful that his leather kilt was so heavy. Then again her scent was so close, he was starting to wish his tribe wore the baggy concealing pants that many other warrior tribes wore. 

Little did Kouga know that he was nowhere close to catching Kagura. She was at the boundaries of the agreed upon distance, 20ft. She was using her wind powers to distort Kouga's senses further by carrying her youki, the scent or aura that youkai emitted, to his nose and the sound of her chuckles and whispers direct to his ears. The feather that was teasing his skin in such a traumatizing blend of torture and eroticism was being controlled by the wind from her fan. 

"Oh? So you are just going to stand there and pout? Maybe I should find a way to make you smile."Kagura said. After all, everyone's ticklish somewhere, she reasoned, as she focused on the delicate, sensitive skin of his sides under his armpits. 

Kouga's breath caught as the feather brushed the back of his knee, then directly up the inside of his thigh. 

"Exactly what are you trying to make happy!" Kouga yelped, as he panicked, back pedaling rapidly. The hard level ground of the field ended abruptly, and Kouga couldn't keep his footing on the soft sides of the riverbank and went tumbling into it. 

Kagura began laughing her head off, at the sight of a wet Kouga sputtering as he climbed onto the shore. 

Secretly Kouga was a bit relieved at the dunk in the cold river, which resolved the problem he was having. Of course he wasn't going to let Kagura know that. Plus he was still upset with her toying with him. Ripping the blindfold off, Kouga growled at his tormentor. "The game is done for today!" 

"Quitting already?" 

"You were the one that lead me into the river!"   


"So you're whining over a lil water. Well, I can fix that." Kagura just leaned back on her hovering feather and flicked her wrist a couple times. 

Kouga was bombarded by a vortex of hot air. Startled at first, Kouga then relaxed and basked in the warm heat of the winds, drying every droplet from his hair, pelt and frame. That is, until Kouga felt a gust of wind going up a certain place. 

"Hey! Watch it!" Kouga blushed, as he tried his best to keep his pelt kilt down. 

"Sorry for trying to do a thorough job." Kagura tried to sound innocently offended, but also having a hard time holding a straight face. Something about Kouga's honest face just made giggles bubble up in her. "Okay, you're now dry. Put the blindfold on." 

Kouga didn't know if he could endure another session with Kagura. Well, actually he knew he could, but he didn't want to risk Kagura finding out his exact reactions. "Maybe we should quit for today. It's getting pretty late." 

"Aw. But I can go another round!" Kagura laughed, then her voice turned sly. "I thought you guys liked to brag about your stamina." 

"I can go another round!" Kouga protested, instantly taking the bait. Kagura smirked. Any reference to his male pride was always staunchly defended. 

Kouga's angry face instantly turned his usual confident smirk as a thought hit him. "Then put the blindfold on and-" 

"What do you mean 'put the blindfold on'?" 

"It's your turn." Kouga got up and advanced on the Wind User and the chase began. 

~*~*~ 

A/N I know that 'geisha' is an incorrect term and came along later. But Miroku uses the term in the CN version in reference to the girls in the tea house. So there. 

This time on omake: 

_The Possible Scene if Kagura got Blindfolded_   
(A/N I wrote this but decided the chapter ended better without it.)   
~*~*   
"Hey not so tight!" 

"I'm just making sure you don't cheat." Kouga pulled the ends of the scarf tightly into a knot. 

"You know how much that hurts me to hear you to don't trust me." Kagura sarcastically said. "Okay, it seems secure. I'm ready to start. 1, 2, 3..." Kagura counted off Kouga's ten-second head start, while Kouga began to circle her. "9, 10! Ready or not, here I come!" 

Kagura began to grope around for Kouga while he easily dodged out of the way. 

"Now for the fun!" Kouga chuckled to himself. He was going to get her back for all she did to him that afternoon. "I'm going to-." 

Kouga froze as he realized his dilemma. Kagura was shameless during their fight earlier. But Kouga knew he couldn't reciprocate her actions. The mere thought of stripping her down and gently caressesing her body was causing Kouga to blush (and his mind to wander.) He was already confused about their relationship. This wasn't helping. "I definitely can't do the nipple swirly thing," he muttered before the mental image of that transfixed him. 

Meanwhile, Kagura was tensed and waiting for Kouga to try something. Kouga just continued to say out of reach, thinking about what would be adequate payback. 

"Stop pussyfooting around and do something, " she growled, as she got more impatient, edgy, and jumpy with each second Kouga stalled. 

"He probably going to try something lame like push me into a puddle." Kagura thought impatiently. "Whatever he does I hope he does it quickly."

But Kouga was still trying to think of something. "I can't just push her, that would be lame. Unless I do something more like… push her into that puddle!" Kouga spotted a nice puddle on a short distance away on a washed-out old road.

Kouga lured Kagura toward the puddle by mostly making too much noise and other obvious mistakes. Kagura knew she was being led into a trap but it was better than standing around waiting for Kouga to think of something.

Finally, Kouga got her into position. Quietly, Kouga came from behind and pushed her into the waiting mud puddle. Pushed off balance but still on-guard enough to reflexively act, Kagura grabbed Kouga and pulled him down with her. Of course, she wasn't originally planning on Kouga landing on her.

Roughly pushing her off her, Kagura sat up. The mud was watery and slick and coated everything instantly.

"Ugh! I can't believe you!" Kagura limply raised her arms and looked down at her poor ruin kimono. It used to look so pretty. "So you have any idea how hard it is to get stains out of silk. It's impossible! You bastard!"

Kouga grinned at the miserable looking wind-user. He wasn't originally planning on getting muddy himself but it was still worth it. It was even worth the handfuls of mud she started to hurl at his face.

"I knew only you would do something this childish!" Kagura as she continued to throw mud at Kouga, who was unfazed and now flinging mud back.

There. Chapter and extras are FINISHED! Please review and tell me my tribulations weren't in vain. 

Do you know how hard it is to be suggestively playful without having things skip down the lemon-yellow brick road to a Harlequin novel?

"She suddenly was caught in the clear blue of his eyes, even more apparent against the dark smudges of mud against his tanned skin. Suddenly, she had to have him.

"His few remaining clothing was little barrier against a female youkai who knew what she wanted. Neither was the inappropriateness of their location. All that mattered was way their bodies met and obeyed the savage nature of their blood as they…"

ACK! Not in this story!


	9. Chapter 8:Fire

First off, a thousand pardons for the lateness of this. Cecil, my beloved computer, is still on his sabbatical and it is hard to write fics in cubicles at work, computer labs, and on vacation in Florida.

Thank you to the response I've received on and off the comments section. We are nearing the end… eventually…

A special thanks to my beta for this and previous chapters, Shar and Eloy.

Kagura watched the wisps of wind she controlled feed the campfire, causing it to blossom quickly from a few sparks into a roaring fire. Rin crouched nearby, flint in hand and a pleased expression on her face. Jaken-sama usually didn't let her help make a fire but Kagura-sama did.

"Why do I have to fish?" Jaken whined loudly from his miserable location in the middle of the freezing shallow stream as he groped around.

"I told you. We're too close to the mountains and the water is too cold for Rin. Do you want to deal with a sick child?" Kagura yelled back. Kagura didn't need to add that *she* wasn't going to get into that frigid water. No child was that cute. 

"No," Jaken glumly responded, since he had been on laundry and cleaning duty last time Rin got the flu. He still couldn't see how so much fluid could come out of one, small human. He quietly went back to grumbling that no one loved or respected him.

"But I love and respect you, Jaken-sama." Rin said from the stream bank, feeling a bit sorry for the short, green youkai catching her lunch.

"That doesn't count." Jaken said harshly and turned his back to her so she wouldn't see him smile.

Kagura finished with the fire setup, and then turned to go. "See ya later, kid." Kagura walked past Sesshoumaru, nodding to him briefly in acknowledgement. She was startled as he suddenly reached out to grasp her hand as she walked by.

Her breath caught as he gently pulled her back to face him. Staring back into his steady gaze the whole world seemed to stop and Kagura would have believed it, if she couldn't hear the sound of her heart galloping insistantly. 

"Kagura." Sesshoumaru glanced down at their entwined hands, his thumb gently carressing her knuckles. "It's going to be nearly a full moon tonight," he said, alluding to the fact that they wouldn't be setting up camp that night. 

Normally, the group would stop for the night, but for a couple of days around the full moon they didn't have to worry about Rin twisting her ankle on a tree root. Even Rin was excited and full of energy on nights like this. Once dinner was done, the group would pack up again and continue moving. Later on, Rin would be bedded down on folded blankets on Ah-Un's back when she was finally ready to sleep. 

"I'll pick you up when we are ready to go," he said, looking back to her face to see her nod. He reluctantly let her hand go and watched as she left.

~*~*~

"We are done for today," Kagura said, slumping to the ground.

"I'll get you next time." Kouga couldn't help but smile as he panted and slid off his armor.  Their fight had lasted several hours, and the late summer sunshine that had been beaming down mercilessly on the scarred meadow where that day's battle had taken place had been long replaced by starlight.  Kouga lay back on the soft grass, thankful for the cool evening breeze that lapped at the beads of sweat on his frame.

Together they stared at the distant mountain range to the east. The clouds clinging to the peak were beginning to glow as the moon began its ascent. A moment or two of quiet repast lasted, then Kagura gasped. "Damn! I didn't know it was this late.  I have to go." She hurried and made a slight effort of straightening her clothes and hair. "See ya later. Sesshoumaru is waiting and tonight we're supposed to-"

"You should leave him," Kouga said, sitting up and looking away.

"What? Excuse me?" Kagura glanced back, surprised.

"You heard me," Kouga quietly growled. "You don't need him. He's just a cold arrogant unfeeling bastard! And- and. . ." he started then angrily settled into silence.

Kagura was shocked, but still curious to hear what he was going to say. "And what?"

"And- You're just being stupid! Going after a stupid DOG! Their stink is terrible," Kouga finished lamely.

"Oh please." Kagura turned her back on him and untucked the feather from her hair. As if she could care less about a canine youkai pissing contest that Kouga sounded like he wanted to start. 

"Oh no you don't." Kouga growled. He was not going to be just dismissed. He grabbed Kagura's ankles and pulled them out from beneath her. Flipping her onto her back, he pinned her arms above her head and used his lower half to pin her legs down so she wouldn't rack him.

"Dammit Kouga! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Kagura struggled against the heavier, more muscular Kouga, both surprised and annoyed at his sudden, dominant behavior. 

"I'm making you listen to me for once! Why are you staying with him?" Kouga demanded.

Kagura scowled, not liking the fact she wouldn't even have an answer for herself if she dared ask that same question. It was just too complex. So she settled on growling, "What I do with my own life is none of your business!" 

"Do you really want to be a tag-a-long? All he does can survey his own lands and look for ways to expand his own power!" Kouga couldn't fathom why a capricious strong willed woman, who seemed to value freedom over all else, would stay tied down to youkai like Sesshoumaru.

"And what's wrong with that! That's basically the job description for a youkai lord!" Kagura replied, trying to keep her mind on arguing with Kouga, instead of the increasingly distracting feeling of his weight on her. Part of her mind buzzed that it was an easy matter to get him off her by using her powers but somehow that was an unwelcome bit of logic.

"Yes, but that doesn't explain why you stay! There can't be anything that you're getting from him!" Kouga's voice got quiet as he continued, concerned. "If you need a place to go, you can run with my pack if you want."

Kagura's breath caught for a split second as she stared up into Kouga's azure eyes, only inches from her own. *Is he...?* There was no lie in his sincere face, and Kagura felt her heart speed up. *He couldn't... Nah...* "Now you're just being stupid. I'm happy where I am." 

"Well I'm not! I'm tired of sulking around like a scavenger! I'm not some dirty little secret, Kagura! I am a man!" 

Kagura blinked and paused before being compelled to retort, "You are? When did this happen?"

"Kagura, I'm being serious!" Kouga pleaded, with passion that perplexed Kagura. 

"Well dammit Kouga! What am I supposed to say! You're there babbling about being a man and being tired of meeting me! If you really don't want to duel with me, then go back to your pack!" Kagura challenged, silently hoping he wouldn't leave.

"I'm not tired of that," Kouga sighed. "I'm sick of being embarrassed by you following that damned dog like a lovesick puppy!He's a cold, arrogant, vain dog, who'll never feel a flicker of emotion for anyone, and you're acting like a complete idiot by being in that fan club he calls a party!"

"Kouga, get off me now," Kagura said darkly. This situation was starting to scare her. "It's none of your business."

"Yes, it is!" Kouga yelled at his captive audience. "You don't get it! You are mine! And... well..."Kouga's words sputtered out. It never was this hard to proclaim his feelings for Kagome. Why was this time different? Then again, Kagome always just sweetly smiled to his proclamations of devotion, while Kagura just made cynical comebacks. What could he do to prove that he was serious?

"Kouga, you're just being silly. There is no way that you can..."Kagura's eyes widened as Kouga kissed her. First, it was almost not even a kiss, merely his crusing his lips against hers in an attempt to finally shut her mouth for once.  Kouga pulled back, taking a deep breath. He then kissed her again, tenderly, as he tried to convey every ounce of his conflicting emotions: desperation, attraction, confusion, passion, care... all were poured into this soft meeting of lips. Finally, he withdrew, though not before nibbling gently on her bottom lip.

Kouga hesitantly lifted his weight off her, regarding her for any responce.

Kagura lay flat on her back, blinking up at the sky in shock. 

Kouga didn't know how to interpret her reaction, or lack thereof. The last of his nerve gone, he once again fell back on the plan that worked in the past when things got too complicated. Without a single word, Kouga got up and a retreating funnel of a dust devil was all that remained of the wolf youkai as he rushed back to his own camp.

~*~*~

Kagura was still reeling as she walked back to camp as Kouga's words and actions echoed in her head. Did he really believe the stuff he was spouting earlier? Was he just confused or did he really want to kiss her?

Kagura looked up as she approached the one place of stability in her life: Sesshoumaru's party. Kouga and the panic he caused could wait until later. 

In the camp, Rin held Ah-un's reins and patted its head as Jaken hurried about tying their packs to the burden beast.

Kagura walked up to the tall, regal youkai overlooking the scene.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm back," Kagura good-naturedly called out. She was startled to find that Sesshoumaru ignored her.

Sesshoumaru wasn't one to greet anyone warmly with exclamations of joy, or even polite inquiries or salutations. But Kagura always liked the way his gaze would connect to hers in acknowledgement. Even back when they were on opposing side of the Shikon no Tama conflict, he seemed to go out of his way (well, as much as Sesshoumaru would ever go) to give her his utmost attention. 

Sesshoumaru knew she was there, just wouldn't look at her. "Jaken, get moving," he ordered, pointedly ignoring Kagura, opting instead to glare and lash out at Jaken. 

"Oh, yeah! We're moving tonight. I forgot. How 'bout I just run and get my bath in and catch up with you guys later?" Kagura spoke up, wondering why she felt so nervous. Feeling her lips dry, she reflexively licked them, instantly alerting herself to Kouga's lingering taste. Gasping, she wondered if that was in connection to Sesshoumaru's sudden sour mood. 

He always did hate it when she came back smelling of Kouga. After Kouga's behavior that day, she must reek of him. But this still seemed a bit extreme for Sesshoumaru.

"Do what you will." came Sesshoumaru's cold, ambiguous reply as he walked off, leaving Jaken and Rin to scramble after him.

~*~*~

Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched as he stalked through the forest. He had left the others behind that morning.

After a whole night of tense feelings in the group, Kagura had finally blown up. She accused him of 'Sulking' of all undignified things and wanted to know what was his problem. 

He wasn't the one with the problem or being a problem. She should have apologized or at least acted guilty about it! She knew what she did. And now he did too.

Sesshoumaru had gone to the meadow the previous night. He wasn't spying on her, or anything. She was late and he wanted to retrieve her because they needed to get under way. One could imagine his surprise to find Kagura in a heated embrace with that interloping wolf. 

He was the one that allowed her to travel with him and she repaid him by going off to roll around in the dirt with a wolf. What was she!? A human peasant!?

She had actually had the gall to call that training!

It was impossible talking to her at this point. She would get defensive about being told what to do and not listen to reason.

Furthermore, Sesshoumaru wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing that the situation was dwelling upon his mind. Because it wasn't on his mind at all! 

And would be even less on his mind once he reached the wolf camp.

~*~*~

Ooo. Conflict. Confrontation. Cliffhanger. 

Cross your fingers that all your lovely reviews will motivate me to get out another chapter quickly.

And now…

_OMAKE TIME!_ (You didn't think I would forget did you?)

__

_I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORD_

_(The author is aware of how bad an IY song joke that is.)_

Kagura's breath caught for a split second as she stared up into Kouga's azure eyes, only inches from her own. *Is he...?* There was no lie in his sincere face, and Kagura felt her heart speed up. *He couldn't... Nah...* "Now you're just being stupid. I'm happy where I am." 

"Well I'm not! I'm tired of sulking around like a scavenger! I'm not some dirty little secret, Kagura! I am a... a WOMAN!" 

Kagura's widened. She must have misheard him. "Er... I just lost you. What the hell are you saying?"

Kouga sat up and nodded solemnly. "Deep down, I'm a woman, Kagura. I'm just trapped in a man's body."

"Bbbb-but..." Kagura's head was swimming. Weren't they just having a deep, passionate moment a second ago?

He smiled, with tears in his eyes, as he clasped her hand to his chest. "That's the reason I want you to go away with me. You're my inspiration on how to truly be a wild and free woman!"

"This can't be happening..." Kagura mumbled, numbly as she stared at his face in horror.

Kouga didn't notice her daze though as he continued to pour out his heart. "I guess I finally figured out that something was different with me when I was a little kid..."

Meanwhile, in a darkened room, a menacing figure huddled around the glow of the author's computer...

"Kukuku. This will teach them not to write me out of fanfics. Ack, stupid typos..."


	10. Chapter 9:Between Heaven and Earth

Between Heaven and Earth  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine. But he doesn't really appear in this chapter or even this fanfic much besides in omakes. But it's also the name of the series so by saying 'I don't own Inuyasha' I'm implying that I don't own any other character from the series. Thus covering my rear.  
  
So close to the end. It's so emotionally draining writing this stuff at times. I hope you enjoy.  
  
~*~*~*~ "I can't stand it!" A voice echoed through the forest, startling various flocks of birds out of their nests.  
  
"Can't stand what?" Ginta and Hakkaku tilted their head in unison as they replied to their leader.  
  
Kouga was beyond frazzled. He had barely slept the previous night. His insides felt twisted with over-thinking. There was already a worn path around the campsite from his pacing. Kouga ran his hand through his bangs. He needed an answer.  
  
"Ginta. Hakkaku. I need you to go to Kagura's camp."  
  
"WHAT!" Hakkaku yelled as he and Ginta clung to each other.  
  
"Heck no! She'll slice us up and grind our bones to make her dumplings!" Ginta complained.  
  
"You might be brave enough to challenge her every day but even you don't win. How can you send us against her?" Hakkaku insisted.  
  
"Because I need to talk to her! Don't be scaredy cats! She won't hurt you. At least, probably not." Kouga continued to pace back and forth, frustrated. "I would get her but Sesshoumaru might be there and though I'm not scared of him, you know how awkward that would be. Then again she isn't his kin yet that I know..."  
  
"SESSHOUMARU!" they squealed in unison  
  
"You mean Inuyasha's big, scary brother?"  
  
"The one that will kill you as soon as look at you?"  
  
"You don't think I can take him on?" Kouga growled at his underlings.  
  
"No, oh no! Of course you can take him on," his henchmen tried to reassure the wolf lord that they didn't doubt his abilities against anyone. Kouga's ego was one that could stand no challenge but the two beta males loved their alpha male enough that they didn't want him shredded into itsy bitsy pieces.  
  
Hesitantly, the two wolf youkai left, leaving Kouga to pace the hour away. Not that he noticed the passage of time as the sun climbed in the sky. He was too obsessed with the answer she just had to give him.  
  
Maybe she realized that her feelings mirrored his own? Or maybe he had over- stepped the line just a bit? Is so, then how much? Would it change with time? Or maybe she was disgusted with him?  
  
"Or maybe she was just amused and going to hold my feelings over my head forever? That does kinda sound like her," Kouga thought to himself. Just then he froze mid pace as he felt someone's stare stab into the back of his head.  
  
"So you're here already?"  
  
"Stay away," Sesshoumaru stated flatly.  
  
"It's not your business," Kouga said carefully and braced himself but didn't turn around. Kouga knew this wasn't going to fight with Inu-kuro where a majority of it was just masculine posturing and maybe a couple punches thrown in to dissipate some adolescent tension. Then again, Inuyasha was Kouga's rival and occasional ally. Though both of them would hate to admit it, they did share a kind of friendship and camaraderie. Kouga didn't have any illusions that Sesshoumaru considered no one his ally, even his own kin, and usually fought to the death.  
  
"You overstep your bounds, Wolf. These are my lands. I'll be the one to say what's my business or not," Sesshoumaru watched the wolf, waiting for him to dare cross the line. In fact, hoping he would.  
  
Kouga turned around to face Sesshoumaru slowly. Despite his style of straightforward confrontation, Kouga wasn't suicidal. "I don't have a problem with you. This is between me and Kagura. Let me settle this with her and I'll leave your lands."  
  
"Who are you to dictate conditions to me?" Sesshoumaru frowned.  
  
Kouga locked eyes with Sesshoumaru, searching for a way that both could leave this situation without losing face. What he found there in Sesshoumaru's golden eyes was that it would take something to leave this situation without losing his life...  
  
~*~*~  
  
"It's a good day to die," Hakkaku said solemnly as they peeked over the hill at the campsite where a giggling young girl ran away from a short, toad-like youkai that seemed to have a painted moustache and black eye since his nap. Their target laughed at the scene while the squat minion of Sesshoumaru complained that their target was a bad influence on the child.  
  
"Sacrificing ourselves fulfilling our tribal leader's orders is the most honorable thing to do," Ginta resigned himself to his fate. "I'm still scared."  
  
"Me too," The two young youkai paused to steel themselves. But their nerves were broken by heavy breathing behind them. Startled, they scrambled over the hill. Looking back, the pair saw Sesshoumaru's burden beast, Ah-Uh, docilely ambling along. Looking up, they saw that they were at the feet of the demoness that had easily decimated a whole confederation of tribes.  
  
Ginta and Hakkaku cowered before Kagura. The only person that they had met scarier was Sesshoumaru and his threat was represented right behind Kagura, in the form of his two followers. Worse yet, they knew one of them, the young girl, Rin, had a grudge against them for their tribe slaying her.  
  
"They sound just like me," Rin muttered, peeking from behind Kagura's skirt, in reference to their trademark high pitched squeal of 'Save us, Kouga!'  
  
"What do you want?" Kagura asked, though she already knew the answer. Kouga wanted her answer to the big question. He had never really stated a concrete question but the heated yearning of his actions had led Kagura to believe that he wanted to know if she would go with him.  
  
"They want to meet their maker!' Jaken narrowed his eyes, on guard against the vile wolves. Though they were technically canine youkai, they were not fit to be the dust under his Great Sesshoumaru-sama's feet. For Sesshoumaru- sama, Jaken would lay down his life and make sure they didn't finish the job they once started on Rin.  
  
"Kouga wants to see you," Hakkaku blurted out.  
  
"Please don't hurt us!" Ginta yelped, begging on his knees.  
  
"Er, okay," Kagura said awkwardly at the sign of extreme submission.  
  
Kagura momentarily worried her lip in concentration. Everything was so confusing to her, as if the kiss Kouga gave her had rattled her whole world. She didn't know which was more memorable: the warm press of his lips or the look of wounded hope shining in his eyes.  
  
Then there was this morning and the simmering emotion that seemed to hide behind Sesshoumaru's eyes. How would she categorize that? Was it mere fancy that she had caught some type of betrayed anger? If it was, then what did that exactly mean? Then again, the fact that Sesshoumaru was nearly completely unrufflable made even the slightest sour mood of his stark in comparison.  
  
She had once heard that eyes were a window into a person's soul. But her only real long-term experiences were with the empty, mysterious, and haunted eyes of Kanna, Naraku, Kohaku, respectively. How could she tell if that was poetic nonsense or not?  
  
For that matter, was the strangely pleasant feeling of having the wind sucked out of her during Kouga's kiss due to inexperience? Then what about breathless, tingling feelings she had when Sesshoumaru accidentally touched even her shoulder?  
  
"I'm going to go to Kouga," Kagura took a few steps then noticed her two new shadows, namely Ginta and Hakkaku, following. "Alone," She clarified. This was going to be a tense situation and privacy was needed.  
  
"Where are we to go?" Hakkaku asked.  
  
"Stay here," Kagura shrugged as she pulled out her feather.  
  
"But what if Sesshoumaru shows up?" Ginta glanced around frightened, as if just saying the Great Dog Lord's name would summon him.  
  
"Then get on Rin's good side!" Kagura yelled as her feather took off into the sky.  
  
The two wolves looked at each other then looked back at the small child trying to duck behind the even shorter youkai-minion.  
  
Rin hesitantly peeked around Jaken, and was surprised at the looks of extreme terror the two youkai gave her.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Kouga's eyes nervously flicked over the two swords at Sesshoumaru's hip and then at the sword his own hip. Sesshoumaru wasn't one to have a sword for the childish reason of vanity. They had to be youkai-made, finely wrought swords with powers that Sesshoumaru knew how to use and control. Unlike Inuyasha, who was satisfied to brutely swing his birthright around, Sesshoumaru was one that innately demanded perfection from everything around him, including himself.  
  
This was a problem for Kouga since he was a hand to hand fighter. He only had a sword because one of his men commented that it looked good on him. In his fights with Inuyasha, his speed was his only advantage.  
  
As if reading his mind, Sesshoumaru's lip quirked and he cracked the joints in his fingers as if reassuring Kouga that he wouldn't pull his sword. His one clawed hand was more than good enough to take Kouga on.  
  
If you had asked either opponent later, they would have told you that the fight was inevitable. It had been brewing for far longer than the indiscretion of the kiss the previous day. But the moment, as they sized each up, seemed to hang in the air for an eternity. Even if it was inevitable, it is a strange fact that it was the distant crinkling sound of a dry leaf being moved by a common beetle that broke the moment and started the fight.  
  
Kouga charged. Distantly he was amazed at his own speed, which seemed to slow everything around him. He hadn't felt quite like this since the Shikon Shards were taken back. Kouga punched, but only connected with air. For all his speed, it was obvious that Sesshoumaru wasn't in the same league.  
  
Trying to catch up, Kouga threw a left hook and then another right but Sesshoumaru easily dodged. He then rewarded Kouga with a dismissive backhand to the ground. Kouga sat up and wiped a thin trickle of blood from his lip. Not a promising start, but Kouga just wasn't a quitter and leaped back into the fray.  
  
Kouga threw several quick jabs hoping that one would catch Sesshoumaru off guard. Sesshoumaru seemed unfazed as he blocked each successive punch. Kouga gave a spinning high heel kick and felt it connected soundly. His elation died as quickly as it started because he noticed that hit kick had been caught in Sesshoumaru's lone hand.  
  
Sesshoumaru flung Kouga by his ankle through the air. He hit a boulder with a loud crunch. Lying on the ground in pain, Kouga briefly thought the sound came from his back breaking, but looking up he noticed the remains of the stone that he hit.  
  
"Give up, Wolf. Leave." Sesshoumaru said bluntly.  
  
"Not when the territory you are trying to take isn't yours," Kouga growled and charged his opponent. This attack was foiled by Sesshoumaru instantly switching to the offensive and rushing at him. Catching Kouga by the throat, Sesshoumaru hoisted him into the air, and punctuated it with a couple shakes.  
  
Kouga struggled, trying to pry the vice-like grip Sesshoumaru from his throat while his legs kicked helplessly at the air. The panic of having his throat slowly constricted was intensifying as Kouga started to feel the burning sensation of some unknown wetness on Sesshoumaru's hand that dripped blistering trails down his neck.  
  
Kouga's eyes watered as the acrid fumes hit them. His vision began to swim. Distantly, in the back of his head, a thought hit him. The pain slowly intensifying was testament that Sesshoumaru was only barely powering up.  
  
Sesshoumaru's smile widened as he glared. "I hear that you lost a woman to Inuyasha. Did you really think that you would get one from the full-blooded brother?" Sesshoumaru sneered at the struggling wolf. This was a waste of time and effort. He would have been satisfied to see the wolf run off. Fewer explanations were necessary.  
  
"Since when do I give explanations?" Sesshoumaru thought to himself, resolving his internal debate. He had given adequate warning and Kagura would get over the loss of her diversion sooner or later.  
  
Kouga knew he only had one more chance. He grabbed Sesshoumaru's wrist with both hands and swung his feet up to kick him. Since Sesshoumaru's only hand was around Kouga's throat he had no way to block and took the full brunt of it.  
  
Kouga was dropped and quickly scrambled to his feet and jumped back. He wouldn't have believed that he had landed a kick on the austere youkai save a smudge his heels had made, that showed dark against Sesshoumaru's pale face. Sesshoumaru made no move to wipe it off, only narrowed his eyes dangerously.  
  
"Enough of this," Sesshoumaru growled as a whiplike green glow materialized in his hand. If the wolf wanted to be flayed alive, so be it. Sesshoumaru always knew mercy was overrated.  
  
But then the familiar wash of scent and gust of wind denoting the arrival of the muse of the battle alerted the combatants that the fight was officially over.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" Kagura demanded.  
  
Both Sesshoumaru and Kouga looked at her, guiltily. Each man had their own reason to be ashamed for being caught; Kouga at being beaten and Sesshoumaru for giving a damn.  
  
They both looked back at each other. Sesshoumaru still entertained the thought of ripping the wolf apart piece by piece. But he had to weigh a victory over Kouga with the perceived loss of face in front of Kagura. Sesshoumaru let his will be known, never his emotions. He especially resented letting others know his emotions before coming to terms with them himself.  
  
With a slight frown and a great force of will, Sesshoumaru turned quickly and silently, without a word of explanation, he brushed past Kagura on the way back to their camp.  
  
Kouga sat up hesitantly, gingerly touching his much-abused neck. The sickly blackish green of the chemically burned and bruised skin on his neck was rapidly healing over and returning to its normal hue and texture. The wounds on his ego, though, were still open and raw. Was it his destiny to always lose to dogs?  
  
Kagura stood still trying to absorb the impact. Part of her was extremely flattered. No one had truly cared enough to fight for her before. Part of her was extremely angry at the thought that they thought she was a piece of meat to be fought over. And part of her was unsure of everything.  
  
Sesshoumaru glanced back as he neared the edge of the clearing. "Kagura, I'll be at camp." Sesshoumaru couldn't help but prompt. He noticed with increasing irritation that she was still facing the wolf and hadn't turned away from the obviously lesser of the two opponents. He didn't expect her to be instantly at his side but she should have least started to shun the weakling.  
  
Kouga looked up weakly at the woman before him. From his vantage point, he could see her face clearly. Only resolve shone staunchly across her face.  
  
"Kouga, I have my answer," Kagura stated.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Stop it! Stop it!" Ginta gasped out, protesting.  
  
Rin just giggled in response and continued to rub his belly, knowing from the huge grin on his face that he was enjoying it. Rin was a very forgiving girl and somehow, up close, the big, bad wolf-youkai didn't seem so scary.  
  
Hakkaku watched his comrade wiggle around the ground like a 12-week-old pup. They were warriors, darnit! "This is so demeaning."  
  
"Wait until she decides to play dress-up," Jaken commented sagely.  
  
"Oo! Dressup!" Rin jumped up with a strange light in her eyes. The three youkai finally knew true fear...  
  
Some time later...  
  
"How many kimonos does Kagura have?" Ginta said in awe looking over the overspilled contents of the bundle.  
  
"Kagura-sama says to always have a couple spares in case they get blasted off you," Rin said matter-of-fact, unconcerned how odd the statement was. "This one," She announced after holding a few to his chest.  
  
"I don't want to wear a red kimono," Ginta complained.  
  
"But Ginta-san, it matches the bow," Rin said pointing out the pride and joy of her makeover success, the red bow tied elaborately around Ginta's head. She had to admit Ginta was turning out the best. She was especially proud of the way the blush highlighted his cheekbones.  
  
"Quiet wolf, and do as you're told," Jaken glared at the boy, trying to look protective and menacing, which was a difficult since Rin had had a lot of trouble painting his non-existent lips. The overly wide drawing of them across his face was a bit much. She had also gone a bit overboard with his eyeshadow. Still Kagura's olive bamboo patterned kimono did bring out the subtle undertones of his complexion, though it was a bit long. (VERY LONG.)  
  
"I hope Kouga appreciates this." Hakkaku muttered and tried to not to be too annoyed at how Rin had swept his Mohawk over one of his eyes. He would have looked SO much better in the red kimono. "Maybe it would have been better for us to get killed by Sesshoumaru."  
  
~*~*~*~ Mwahahaha. Yet another cliffhanger. The worse one yet followed by a pointless scene that could have been an omake itself. You fans must hate me.  
  
So be it. Mwahahahahahahahaha!*continues to evilly laugh*  
  
*Innocently* Oh look! What's this in my hand? A simple floppy disk? Containing what? The final part(s?) and epilogue of "Searching"? *gasp!* Only an inhuman monster would hold this out for more reviews!  
  
Heheh. You know the drill people. Stick em' up and gimmie your reviews or this piece gets it!  
  
You think I'm bluffing? Try me! One of my betas even commented that I could leave it as an ambiguous ending right here. I've got you hooked and I've got the goods.  
  
I guess you guys are going to have to make due with only an Omake Theatre until then.  
  
Anticipation  
  
Sesshoumaru glanced back as he neared the edge of the clearing. "Kagura, I'll be at camp." Sesshoumaru couldn't help but prompt. He noticed with increasing irritation that she was still facing the wolf and hadn't turned away from the obviously lesser of the two opponents. He didn't expect her to be instantly at his side but she should have least started to shun the weakling.  
  
Kouga looked up weakly at the woman before him. From his vantage point, he could see her face clearly. Only resolve shone staunchly across her face.  
  
"Kouga, I have my answer," Kagura stated.  
  
"Will Kagura choose the affections of the rash Kouga? Will she choose the calm companionship of Sesshoumaru? Find out the grand finale on the next installment of 'Searching'!" The booming voice of the narrator called from the heavens.  
  
"What the bloody hell?" A startled Kagura voiced the opinion of herself and the other two youkai who looked up into the sky.  
  
Nearby, the figures of Sango and Kagome burst out of the bushes. "No! You can't end the chapter in a cliffhanger!" they pleaded in unison.  
  
Sesshoumaru, Kagura, Kouga turned to their newly discovered audience. But how could it happen that they notice a whole group of onlookers when all three of them possessed superior youkai senses?  
  
"You left the last couple chapters in cliffhangers. You can't jerk us around like that. We demand closure," The normally demure Sango furiously stated.  
  
"And more sex and full frontal nudity! We demand lemons! " Miroku demanded with equal fervor. A blushing Sango and her ever present boomerang didn't seem to agree.  
  
"Kouga-kun, I know you can do it! I'm rooting for you!" Kagome waved enthusiastically. Kouga turned seventeen shades of red and felt like crawling under a rock. "Your heart will go on!"  
  
"Feh. Stop encouraging the wussy wolf, Kagome. Even if he's a royal jerk and a controlling, possessive asshole, I hate to say it but the fact remains that Sesshoumaru is probably going to win." Inuyasha folded his arms while added his own personal opinion to the ongoing commentary. Sesshoumaru didn't seem to like his sibling's vote of confidence, though, considering the way his jaw clenched. "Poor Kagura, though. She loses either way."  
  
"Kagome," Shippou whined, showing his poor, empty bowl, "Inuyasha ate all my popcorn!"  
  
"Well, that blew the moment," Kagura muttered.  
  
"Will the finale of "Searching" be a let down? Will the Kagura/Sesshoumaru sect win? Or will the Kagura/Kouga sect win?" The omnipotent voice of the narrator continued. "Will Kouga's 'heart go on'? Will Sesshoumaru ever get over himself? Will Kagura-"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Sesshoumaru, Kouga, and Kagura screamed. Then they threw up their hands on the whole fic and all went out for karaoke and ice cream. 


	11. Chapter 10a Ending One:Breath

SUPER IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE

Okay, last year (I can't believe it's been that long too!) when the original debate on "Which hunk of burning youkai lovin' was perfect for Kagura?" came about, the internal debate on whether a love-triangle fic could be balanced assaulted my mind too.  
  
The intrinsic problem is that the balance would be either incomplete or would forget someone at the very end. You can't make everyone happy.  
  
Screw that line of logic.  
  
So thus I present you, the 3 endings of Searching. Pick one that suits you and satisfies you, the reader. I've jerked you around enough as an author. You can read and hopefully enjoy the other endings if you want or you can ignore them.  
  
The Epilogue and Omake Theatres will be presented in one week's time. (wink As long as I get plenty reviews to spur my laziness into some sort of action. And yes, there was plural omakes. As in more than one.)

* * *

_ENDING ONE: BREATH (Kagura)_  
  
Sesshoumaru glanced back as he neared the edge of the clearing. "Kagura, I'll be at camp." Sesshoumaru couldn't help but prompt. He noticed with increasing irritation that she was still facing the wolf and hadn't turned away from the obvious lesser of the two opponents. He didn't expect her to be instantly at his side but she should have least started to shun the weakling.  
  
Kouga looked up weakly at the towering woman before him. From his vantage point, he could see her face clearly. Only resolve shone staunchly across her face.  
  
"Kouga, I have my answer." Kagura stated.  
  
The whole forest seemed to still in anticipation. Sesshoumaru stopped midstep, his keen youkai hearing straining to hear. Kouga hesitantly got to his feet ready to face the answer.  
  
Kagura took a calming breath. They both meant so much to her now. One was the man who calmed her heart even as he excited it and showed her the beauty of the quiet, whispering stillness. The other showed her the joy of racing down the meadows and the playfulness of battle quickening one's pulse. She couldn't go through life on a constant warpath like a thunderous typhoon. Before that, she had only known the confinement and subjugation under Naraku. They had both taught her how to live. Now it was time to take the next step.  
  
"So, you decided to come with me?" Kouga asked, hopefully.  
  
"No. I can't," Kagura said calmly, closing her eyes so she wouldn't see the stricken look crossing Kouga's face. Then she looked over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru. "I can't come with you either, Sesshoumaru," Sesshoumaru frowned in response. Kagura took another deep breath before explaining. "I am the wind. I can't promise myself to anyone. I'm sorry."  
  
Kouga clenched his fists in agitation, the hurt evident on his face. Sesshoumaru continued to frown but nodded in acceptance. Kagura felt a weight lift off her shoulders because she knew she had chosen right.  
  
Because she knew that she was free.  
  
Kagura looked down at the sea spreading out to the horizon from the lapping waves at her feet. Who knew where the others were at right now? Sesshoumaru was, no doubt, was walking purposefully through some ancient forest, unmindful of the games Rin was playing on Jaken. Kouga probably went back to his home, to rule over the remnants of his tribe aided (and impeded) by his most faithful two companions, Ginta and Hakkaku.  
  
With but a parting glance at the mist shrouded coastline of the island that was her birthplace, Kagura confidently took out her feather from her headband. Maybe one day she would return. Maybe one day love would be a possibility she'd embrace.  
  
Maybe one day, but for today only the sweet breath of the wind embraced her.  
  
THE END

* * *

I know it's a short ending that satisfies no shippy-ness. But it was needed. Sometimes romance isn't the final option.  
  
If you need the shippy-ness, go to the other endings. (Ending 2 for Sess/Kagu and Ending 3 for Koug/Kagu.)

But if you like this ending, then please tell me. The final reviews to a fic are always some most satisfying. (Plus it guarentees the epilogue and omakes!)


	12. Chapter 10b Ending Two:Breeze

This is for Sesshoumaru/Kagura fans. Hopefully, I've satisfied as much of your fangirl (and fanboy) desires as I can as an author. Enjoy.

* * *

_ENDING TWO: BREEZE (Kagura/Sesshoumaru)_

Sesshoumaru glanced back as he neared the edge of the clearing. "Kagura, I'll be at camp." Sesshoumaru couldn't help but prompt. He noticed with increasing irritation that she was still facing the wolf and hadn't turned away from the obvious lesser of the two opponents. He didn't expect her to be instantly at his side but she should have least started to shun the weakling.  
  
Kouga looked up weakly at the woman before him. From his vantage point, he could see her face clearly. Only resolve shone staunchly across her face.  
  
"Kouga, I have my answer." Kagura stated.

* * *

"There are in some contests that one cannot win. No matter how strong and powerful you are. Love is one of those contests."  
  
It was first thing in the morning. Sesshoumaru could still remember seeing his father standing there in the garden, staring down at a frozen koi pond. He was silhouetted by the blinding morning sunshine and the snow covered ground. His hair hung loose and his once strong frame slightly bent from the weight he put on the crutch he held in his right arm, while his other hand clutched at his bandaged side and the wound that should have already healed.  
  
At that very instant, Sesshoumaru realized how much his father had become an utter fool.  
  
He had always idolized his father, the mighty Western Lord, since as far back as he could remember, until he shamed them all by taking Inuyasha's mother as a mate. That random comment was only one of many moments of sentimentality that Sesshoumaru felt led to his father's downfall.  
  
But now that comment came ringing back to Sesshoumaru. He absently wondered what was wrong with him, before insisting that a random memory of his late father didn't mean anything.  
  
He could see several trails of smoke from in the middle of the woods. Earlier, Sesshoumaru had noticed traces of large campsites fairly recently in the area. Only bandits, youkai or human, would be going through the countryside this time of year. Maybe "accidentally" happening on them would relieve the feeling of irritation he was experiencing.  
  
A distinct scent alerted Sesshoumaru that Kagura had returned to camp. Sesshoumaru couldn't exactly explain why he had left before Kagura had announced her "answer" to the wolf. It was her decision and he knew he couldn't force her to side with him.  
  
But now Kagura was giving him her answer. "Sesshoumaru, I talked everything out with Kouga. I'm ready to go," she said simply.  
  
"Then go," Sesshoumaru stated flatly, refusing to look back at her one last time. He absently wondered how he had expected this to end. He had told her that she could leave whenever she wanted. She was leaving. He didn't own her.  
  
The whole campsite was silent save for the sounds of Kagura packing. When she stopped, only the faint sounds of the living forest were heard.  
  
After a while, Rin was the one that broke the silence. "Aren't you coming, Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
"Yeah, we're wasting time," Kagura commented.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama can take as much time as he wants!" Jaken squawked, slamming down the butt of his staff against the ground. How dare those females question his lord's actions?  
  
Sesshoumaru glanced up, realizing exactly what Kagura's decision was as she stood by Ah-Uh, examining her nails with an expression of bored impatience. No further words of explanation were needed. He liked that.  
  
He got to his feet and walked forward. He nonchalantly grasped Kagura's hand then started down the path, the others following in step behind them. Everything was as it should be.  
  
Kagura looked up at Sesshoumaru just as he turned his head to glance down at her. Crimson met gold as their gazes held for a confusing, long moment. Then Kagura had to comment in order to dispell the tension, "By the way, Sesshoumaru, you've got a smudge on your cheek."  
  
She licked her thumb and before Sesshoumaru could pull away to protest the indignity of it, she was rubbing the dirt away as if he were a child.  
  
After a moment, her touch became something different as her fingertips traced the purplish markings on his face. Sesshoumaru looked down at the woman, his breath catching slightly at the entranced expression on her face.  
  
He covered her soft fingers resting on his skin with his own hand. Testing the waters so to speak. Her eyes lifted to meet his, slightly widening in surprise. She didn't pull away and even leaned a bit closer. Kagura's hand slid down from his cheek to rest on his chest, being mindful of the spikes on his armor.  
  
Sesshoumaru never was one to hesitate once he made a decision on a course of action. He leaned over, inclined his head towards hers, meeting her lips softly. With this simple action came the momentous realization that this was but one step on a road they had started together a long time ago. This was the beginning of something more.  
  
"Jaken-sama, why are you covering my eyes?" Rin complained.  
  
Jaken just sighed. "Sesshoumaru-sama has no timing."  
  
The End

* * *

Omakes and Random Epilogue in one week. That is, if your lovely reviews  
motivate me. 

For a non-romantic ending go back to Ending 1 or if you want to see the Kouga/Kagura ending go to Ending 3.


	13. Chapter 10c Ending Three:Gust

This is for you Kouga/Kagura fans. It does take into some consideration a section that was an omake in an earlier chapter but my editor did point out it had a nice flow.

* * *

_ENDING THREE: GUST (Kagura/Kouga)_  
  
Sesshoumaru glanced back as he neared the edge of the clearing. "Kagura, I'll be at camp." Sesshoumaru couldn't help but prompt. He noticed with increasing irritation that she was still facing the wolf and hadn't turned away from the obvious lesser of the two opponents. He didn't expect her to be instantly at his side but she should have least started to shun the weakling.  
  
Kouga looked up weakly at the woman before him. From his vantage point, he could see her face clearly. Only resolve shone staunchly across her face.  
  
"Kouga, I have my answer." Kagura stated. Turning quickly on her heel she ran after Sesshoumaru calling "Sesshoumaru! Wait!"  
  
Kouga watched in horror as the stately dog youkai turned. Sesshoumaru leaned in to whatever Kagura whispered into his ear, her hands against his chest armor, his hand on her arm, holding her close.  
  
Kouga looked away. He didn't need to hear the exact words as she stood so close to that inbred dog lord. Kouga knew what she was saying. He felt like crying.  
  
Of course, he knew he deserved it. He was weaker than Sesshoumaru. If Kagura hadn't shown up when she did, it was likely that he would have lost. He couldn't pull a "tactical retreat," like he could when fighting Inuyasha. He would have completely lost, which in a way was exactly the situation he was in now.  
  
Months ago, Kagome had sat him down the night after the Shikon no Tama saga finished, when he had gone to fetch what the thought was his bride. She had told him, kindly, how great a person she thought he was. For a moment, he liked to believe her. Then she went on to explain that it didn't matter how great a guy he was, or tribalistic claims, or even strength. Women cared for who they care about for their own reasons that aren't always easy to explain. They just knew the guy they wanted to be with and who they loved spending time with. Kouga didn't really get what she was saying. He only knew that she was rejecting him and her consolatory 'you'll find someone someday' wasn't much help.  
  
But Kouga understood now what Kagome had been saying. He also knew it was nonsensical bullshit from a human girl that knew nothing about how youkai worked. He was fooling himself if he thought that all the time he and Kagura spent together meant anything or that any arbitrary affection would keep her by him.  
  
Kouga was so down he didn't even notice that Kagura had finished what she was saying to Sesshoumaru and walked over.  
  
"Well, that was pathetic," she smirked.  
  
Kouga felt like dirt. It was bad enough that he just got the crap beat out of him. The bruises and scraps had already healed minutes ago, but the wounds to his ego were still fresh. And now if felt like she was pouring salt into them. On second thought, he felt worse than dirt. He wished he was mere dirt.  
  
"You bitch," Kouga muttered. She could have just left him. She could have just left him wallowing in his misery instead of rubbing it in. He had forgotten how cruel and mocking she was. She really was the monster he once called her. It took everything in his whole body not to lash out at her.  
  
"No need for such language. I'm just calling it like I see it. I thought you would last at least half a minute longer than you did. I guess I overestimated you." Kagura gave a long-suffering sigh as she continued. "Well, I guess there's no helping it. We'll have to practice more often."  
  
Kouga blinked in shock. "Practice?" he questioned, as he looked up and stared dumbfounded at Kagura. Her amused smile and outstretched hand were a true indicator of her intentions as she helped him to his feet.  
  
She ignored his question. With a disgusted grimace, she picked off a piece of dead, scabbed skin on his throat. "Ew, you need to really get a good scrubbing."  
  
"So you choose me," Kouga whispered, looking over her shoulder to see that what she said was true. Sesshoumaru had already left. Kouga slowly paced a hand on her hip, bringing her closer.  
  
"Yeah. So don't make me regret it," Kagura gave a wry smile, wondering what that odd soft look that was in Kouga's eyes. The moment hung in the air as Kouga closed the distance between their lips...until Kagura smacked him upside the head.  
  
"What was that for?," Kouga yelled jumping back fists at the ready.  
  
"Just because I decide to go with you, doesn't mean I'm about to be pawed by you," Kagura sneered. "Furthermore you've got a lot of work before I won't be embarrassed to be seen with you. We're going to have to train at least two times a day. I hope your tribe will understand."  
  
"They'll cope if I tell them to," Kouga shot back. He hadn't told them the whole story of Kagura but he was getting around to it. Then again it would be good way to show her that he was the boss. Crossing his arms, he tried looking as impressive as he could. "And I think we should refocus our training. None of those pansy games you try."  
  
Kagura's smile turned devilish as her finger traced a circular pattern on his chest plate. "Aw. No games at all?"  
  
Kouga felt his resolve melting, but still tried to maintain his macho stance. "Fine. But no more Blind Man's Bluff, okay?"  
  
"But I thought you liked that game," Kagura playfully prodded.  
  
Kouga's blush infinitely deepened as he stared into her eyes. Looking away quickly, he conceded, "Okay, but only every once in a while."  
  
Kouga was shocked to have Kagura reach over and turn his face toward him. He was even more shocked at her pressing her lips to his in an unforgettable kiss that was unbearably too short for Kouga.  
  
"Only every once in a while," Kagura smiled as she agreed. And then she shoved him into a mud-puddle.  
  
The End

* * *

Omakes and Random Epilogue in one week if you gimmie some Love (or Hate) in  
the reviews.

If you want a non-romatic ending, then go back two chapters to Ending 1. If you want to see the Sesshoumaru/Kagura one, then go back to Ending 2.


End file.
